


A Love Like No Other (and everything that comes with it)

by Oh_Mickey_ur_so_fine



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Break Up, Child Abuse, Childhood Friends, Consensual Underage Sex, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Smut, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-01 11:05:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16763911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oh_Mickey_ur_so_fine/pseuds/Oh_Mickey_ur_so_fine
Summary: 2 kids from the Southside, inseparable, best friends. Joined at the hip, they traverse their way through growing up in unfortunate circumstances, being there for each other all the way....it's no surprise to them when they begin to feel more for each other, no surprise to anyone!. This is a story of what happens when they realise that true love is mostly exhilarating but can be heartbreaking too.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this is my first attempt at anything on here. I've spent months reading and learning and now feel confident enough to do this.  
> Any input, suggestions, criticism is more than welcome!.  
> Thank you for reading if you're here.  
> xx

A LOVE LIKE NO OTHER (and everything that comes with it)

CHAPTER 1

Ian Gallagher wakes up, slowly it dawns on him that there's no school. It's the first day of the Christmas break. He smiles to himself as he leaps out of bed to make his way to the bathroom. He suddenly stops, turns around to see what his peripheral vision noticed a second ago. Looking out of the small window he can see it has snowed, not just a little but easily a foot worth!!.

"Holy Shit!!!!" he whispers, so as not to wake his brothers in the same room. He practically runs around grabbing warm clothing out of drawers and his boots from the cupboard. He takes it all into the bathroom where he quickly gets dressed, pees, washes up, brushes his teeth and checks there's not too much wrong with his mop of red hair. Thinking he's presentable enough, he tries hard to be quiet as he runs downstairs into the kitchen where he grabs 4 Pop Tarts, jams them into the toaster, pours himself a glass of juice, looking at the time as he drinks. It's almost 8am so not too early which he had feared. The toaster pops so he grabs some foil, wraps the tarts in it and heads for the front door, stopping to put his winter coat on, and to put the tarts in his pocket. Then he proceeds to put on his hat, scarf and gloves. He's out the door seconds later, running like the wind.

He's on his way to Mickey's house. The excitement of seeing his friend and having fun in the snow all day is propelling him faster. He seriously cannot get there quick enough. Mickey is 10, 1 year older than Ian but they're in the same class at school as he was held back for not passing the grade. For as long as Ian can remember, it's been the two of them, partners in crime, best friends, nobody could keep them apart even if they tried, which they wouldn't because Mickey would kick their ass!.

Ian gets to Mickey's in minutes and climbs the stairs to the front door. This is where he has to be stealthy, never knowing if Mickey's Dad is there asleep on the couch. The door is never locked, which is understandable because who would ever have the balls to rob the Milkovich house?. No-one in their right mind!. Ian slowly turns the handle, opens the door inch by inch until he sees the coast is clear. He quickly steps inside and closes the door quietly then makes his way towards Mickey's room which thankfully isn't upstairs. He opens the bedroom door, walks in and shuts it behind him while holding his breath at the sight of Mickey, still asleep and oblivious to his visitor. Ian walks up to him and smiles before giving him a nudge.

"Mickey" he whispers. Mickey just gives a moan and continues sleeping. "Mickey, come on!!!" This time the brunette opens an eye to see Ian looking down at him. He takes a second, then smiles up at his friend.

"What the fuck Ian?. We don't have school, remember?". Mickey sits up as Ian jumps on his bed and sits down. He pulls the foil package out of his pocket, opens it and grabs two Pop Tarts before handing the package to Mickey.

Ian looks at Mickey excitedly and tells him to look out the window. Mickey does so and turns his head to Ian with a grin on his face.

"That's a lot of fuckin snow man!!. Now I know why you're here so early" he says as he jumps on Ian and they roll around play fighting before settling back down to eat. "What d'ya wanna do first Ian, snowball fight, build a snow monster or go sledding?".

"I don't care, whatever is good with me Mick, although we probably should build the monster first before the snow gets ruined by everyone else" he replies watching his friend get up and look for clothes to wear. He stops eating for a while to watch as Mickey gets undressed out of his boxers and shirt, thinking to himself that it's the coolest thing ever that they can do shit like being naked in front of each other and not care at all. He'd bet that not many other best friends were as close as that and that's something he's pretty proud of. He knows that Mickey feels that way too as they've talked about it a couple of times during sleepovers. He finishes his breakfast just as Mickey looks almost ready to head out. He gets up and gives Mickey a hug.

"This is gonna be a good day Mick, I can feel it" he says smiling as he pulls back to look at him.

"Me too Gallagher, me too" Mickey replies grinning back at Ian with sparkling ocean-blue eyes as they walk out the bedroom door.

They get outside to start what turns out to be a great day, just the two of them, laughing, playing, joking around. All around them, people go about their daily lives watching the two boys have fun. Some who know them, shake their heads in wonder at how the boys seem to gravitate towards each other, like magnets. They need nobody else, just each other. It's always been that way.

Ian's Past

Ian can't remember a time in his short life that he's had parents. Obviously, he's got parents but they're never around to do the job of being a parent. His Dad, Frank is the biggest waste of space out there, all he does is drink, do drugs, meet women and steal. He even steals from his own kids!. His Mom is no better. She comes and goes out of their lives but is never around for long. She has alcohol and drug problems too but her biggest problem is being bipolar. The kids call her Hurricane Monica for a reason because she just blows into their lives, causing as much destruction as possible, then leaves without a care.

The oldest kid, Fiona has been looking after her siblings like a mother since she was 8 years old. That was when Monica got sick and left the first time for 2 years. Frank just let Fiona get on with it because he was too busy feeling sorry for himself. At that time, it was just Fiona, Lip and Ian. Lip was 3 and Ian was 2. Fiona had been doing most of the childcare anyway so it wasn't too hard to take over full-time but she found it hard and resentment grew under the surface when she couldn't go to school, see her friends or have any fun. She sucked it up most of the time and did the best job she could teaching the boys right from wrong but also how to look out for each other and themselves.

Monica reappeared in their lives 2 years later acting like she'd only gone out for a pack of cigarettes. Her and Frank were obviously not good for each other but couldn't and wouldn't admit that to themselves so in quick succession over the space of 20 months, another 2 baby Gallagher's made an appearance. Debbie first, then Carl. Monica left not too long afterwards for a while and Fiona had to do it all again. Frank being Frank just wallowed in self pity again, sometimes only coming home to change his stinking clothes. It was around this time that Ian got his first taste of Frank being violent towards him. Lip and Fiona knew what to do to stay off his radar but Ian was a bit more outspoken and called Frank out on things he should probably have just stayed quiet about. So, at almost 5 years old, Ian got slapped, hard enough to leave a bruise. 

He and Mickey had been friends for a while by then and already close enough to know when each other needed support dealing with each other's shitty parents. When Mickey saw the bruise on Ian's face, he thought he would pass out from the rage he felt towards Frank. He knew he couldn't do anything for revenge at 6 years old but he would never forget that day and promised himself to act on it as soon as he could. He hated seeing friend hurting more than anything. 

Up until the present day, Monica had came back a few times but never for long. She never took her bipolar meds so was never stable enough to function as a normal person, let alone the mother of 5 so Ian has only ever relied on Fiona. He's learned to do what he can to help the family out, be it stealing from the milk truck or the bread van, doing his fair share of baby duties and going to school regularly. He went all the time so he could be with Mickey mostly but he already had big dreams about being successful so Mickey and he could escape from the hell they lived in one day.

Mickey's Past

All Mickey has ever known is violence, hatred, abuse and crime. His Dad, Terry is an evil, spiteful criminal who despises everyone who isn't like himself. He is racist, homophobic and one of the most feared criminals in the area. He has moulded his 2 eldest sons into versions of himself so they can help in his criminal ways. Mickey's Mom was an angel in his eyes. She always had a smile for him and knew how to make anything better when it hurt. She died after getting cancer when Mickey was 5. Mickey and his sister Mandy who is 1 year younger than him then had to come to terms with knowing that their Mom wouldn't be there to shield them from their Father's drunken rages. She had always knew how to deflect him away from the younger ones and keep them safe behind her.

It wasn't long before Mickey and Iggy his older brother by 3 years were getting regular beatings which sadly, Mickey was happy to take if it meant that Mandy was safe. All the kids were made to steal, cheat and lie to get whatever they could to help the family out. Sometimes their Dad would disappear for days on a run, doing a drug deal or some other shady crime. By the time Mickey was 10, their Dad was in and out of prison and the 3 kids were glad they knew how to support themselves. Mickey knew how to use a gun and practiced in an old abandoned building not far away. He probably knew a lot more than he should about crime but it was necessary and it always made him happy to know he could do anything to help his siblings or Ian. The only people he gave a shit about.

It was always a cause for celebration when their Dad was arrested and they knew that he wouldn't be around for a while. Although Iggy was older, it was Mickey that ran the household. He was good at making sure they had enough food to keep them going and he was good at keeping trouble from their door. Even though he was only 10, people could see he was not to be messed with. He had established an air about himself that showed he could deal with anything or anyone, didn't fear anyone and woe betide anyone who questioned that. This was the persona that everyone saw except for his siblings to a degree and to Ian. Ian knew the real Mickey. The Mickey that could feel hurt, could cry, could show love and kindness. There had been a few times that Mickey had wept after getting particularly harsh beatings from his Dad. Ian had always been there to comfort him when he had. The boys would grab onto each other and cry their eyes out together for each other's misfortunes and the cards they had been dealt in life. They thought nothing of holding onto each other for comfort and support during their sleepovers whilst lying asleep in bed. Sometimes they'd wake up and laugh at how tangled together they would be before giving each other hugs and ruffling each other's hair. They knew even then how much love they shared and how much it would kill one if the other wasn't there.

Ian has told Mickey of the plan to get an education and do whatever he can to get them away from the people who drag them down. Mickey was doubtful of himself at the time feeling like his life was already too damaged to make anything out of it but Ian slowly talked him around and now they both work hard at school knowing that there's a future for them if they just believe. Having this dream is yet another tie that binds them, something to think about when times are tough. They feel stronger knowing that they have this secret between them, knowing they will never be alone and will always have each other.


	2. Awakenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's 4 years later and the boys are still as close but there's an event ahead that they must face.

FOUR YEARS LATER

"Can you believe we start High School soon Mick?" asks Ian with a glint in his green eyes. "I can't wait!, It's another step closer to the dream man!!" Mickey rolls his eyes as they continue walking but he's just as hyped as Ian. 

Ian is almost taller than Mickey now but still as skinny as a rake, whereas Mickey is beefier and sturdy. He also has perfected a menacing stare and uses it on mostly everyone. The boys are different in that respect, Ian is bubbly and talkative, more approachable. Mickey has a problem with being social and shuns most interaction unless it's with Ian or his siblings, Iggy and Mandy. He doesn't even have much time for his two eldest brothers, Tony and Colin. They're far too involved in their Dad's criminal ongoings and in Mickey's eyes, that is disrespectful to the rest of them. He wouldn't help his Dad take his last breath, let alone commit crime for him!.

As a result, Ian is forever asked by his peers and his family why on earth he hangs around with Mickey but Ian brushes them all off feeling no need to explain himself. He sees Mickey for the fantastic person he is and that's all he cares about. If everyone got even one chance to see Mickey's big, dimpled grin when he's happy, then they'd never doubt him again. Ian never lets himself forget that he's lucky to see that every single day.

Their friendship is as always, unbreakable. It grows stronger all the time, even when they're sure it couldn't get anymore tight. They rely on each other, they seem to know instinctively what the other is thinking or feeling. No-one around them doubts the closeness of the pair, it's just an accepted part of life that they will always be together nowadays. Where you find one, you'll always find the other.

"Ya know how everyone just knows we're best friends in school and no-one gives us shit about it?" asks Mickey, thoughtfully.

"Yeah" says Ian, knowing where the question is headed already.

"What if High School is different and other people try to be our friends and shit?" Mickey knows where he stands on this already but is curious about how Ian feels knowing how approachable he can be. He feels like a pussy asking but if he's honest with himself, it scares the crap out of him that Ian could become friendly with other people so much so that he wouldn't spend as much time with him.

"Hmm, I can't imagine having other friends Mick, I can be friendly to everyone but that doesn't mean I'm automatically their friend or they're mine. I'll always be the kind of guy that talks to everyone but I'll never let you feel left out. You and me go way beyond anything I could ever have with anyone else" he says smiling at his friend. Mickey looks suitability convinced but Ian continues, "Mick, the shit we've been through together, the stuff we've done, nothing can tear us apart. I look at you and I see half of me, that's how much of a bond we have man!" Mickey grins at Ian and throws his arm over Ian's shoulder to show how much he appreciates Ian's words.

"Thanks Gallagher, I needed to hear that" and with the both of them in high spirits, they head back to Mickey's place to watch movies.

Ian is staying at Mickey's for the next few days at least, since it's the Summer and Terry is in jail for another 2 weeks. They've got it all planned for tonight, movies, a few beers and Xbox. Mandy is staying over at her friends place and Iggy has found himself a girlfriend so will be at hers.

They like it when it's just them in the house and imagine that's what it'll be like when they have their own place and they're roommates. Nobody to bother them, or ask stupid questions of them. Beat them....Mickey is still getting a few hits now and then but he's sure his Dad is wary of him now. Terry has heard about his youngest son's reputation and he doesn't seem quite as ready to beat the shit out of him anymore. As for Ian, his mouth has gotten him a few punches and headbutts off of Frank but Ian has hit back everytime, not afraid of his poor excuse of a Father. Fiona and Lip plead with Ian to button his lips when Frank is around but Ian hates that they let Frank away with taking their clothes, food, beer, money and pretty much anything else. He feels like he has to say something just so Frank is aware that someone is onto him.

Everytime one of them gets a hit, the other is there to offer support and understanding. It's always what they've done and they'll continue to do so. Mickey is just waiting for the day that Frank is pulling his shit when he's there. Mickey can't imagine himself stopping until Frank is a bloody pulp. Ian, understandably feels the same about Terry but he's not stupid enough to think he can out-power the brute in a fight but if he caught him beating Mickey or Mandy, he wouldn't hesitate to put a knife in him.

It's already 2am when the boys realise how late it's gotten. They were far too busy playing Halo and giggling because of how the beer made them feel. They only had a six pack each so they're not drunk by any means but they're happy and carefree. They've practically grown up drinking, it's the done thing in both their households so it's not something new to them but they're really enjoying this level of drunkenness and don't want it to end so they decide to go to bed before they start to sober up and spoil a good night.

They race to the bedroom and get undressed, only leaving their boxers on because it's too hot for anything else. While Mickey climbs into bed, Ian turns the light off and joins him. They lie there and talk about random stuff, then Ian starts to tickle Mickey, he knows where it gets to him the most and doesn't let up. It's made all the more funny because it's something they haven't done in a long time and Mickey didn't expect it. He's yelling at Ian to stop because he's going to piss himself but can't stop laughing either. Ian lets up, before it gets annoying for Mickey and notices that his friend has a weird look on his face, he can't figure out what it means as he's never seen it before.

"What's up Mick, did I hurt you or something?" Ian asks worriedly. Mick shakes his head and looks at Ian, still with the same look on his face. "Mick!! Tell me what's wrong, you don't keep shit from me!" The brunette just looks down and nods, Ian follows his eyes and as Mickey lifts the blankets, Ian can see what his friend is so confused about. "Mick, it's nothing, really!! I get inappropriate boners all the time" Ian says, hoping to put Mickey's mind at rest, although he'd be pretty confused too if he popped a boner while Mick was tickling him.

"Ian, I got a fucking boner when you were tickling me for fucks sake!. I don't even get boners looking at hot girls! I've had a few thinking about you though, what the hell d'ya think that means?" Mickey looks scared and glances at Ian for support.

"Look Mick, I'm gonna come clean and tell you I get them a lot when you're on my mind. I've thought about why it happens and it could be because we're so close, so in tune with each other. On the other hand, we might feel more for each other than friendship. It's something I guess we'll find out soon enough but I'm not scared about the outcome at all and you shouldn't worry about it either" Ian hopes Mickey will feel better because of what he's said, hopes that Mickey doesn't freak out.

"So we could be gay, is that what you're saying Ian? Fuck!! My Dad would go fuckin nuts, he'd kill me!!!" Ian, shuts his eyes and waits for the explosion but all he hears is Mickey laughing. He opens his eyes to find Mickey doubled over as he laughs heartily. "Oh Ian man, can you imagine his face? If we are, we can't tell him, we'd have to keep quiet about it until we get outta here" Ian laughs along with Mickey in agreement, wondering if the beer has anything to do with mickey's reaction. The brunette turns to the redhead and asks more seriously, "D'ya think we are Ian, is this why we're so close and don't care about sleeping in the same bed and shit?"

Ian draws a breath and says "I think it'd be difficult to tell right now, we've grown up doing this and it's normal for us but I must admit, I've considered it a few times. I guess we just have to wait and see if we start getting the urge to kiss each other, touch each other and more. It worries me that only one of us will get those feelings and that might make things awkward but whatever happens, we'll deal with it and come out through the other end still friends, hey Mick?" Mickey's seems to mull this over n his head for a while before nodding and reaching over to give Ian a hug.

"You always know the right thing to say Ian, you automatically put my mind at ease, that's why I love ya man!"

"I love you too Mick" says Ian as they continue their embrace. None of them seem willing to break apart. Both of them wondering why this shouldn't be weird after the conversation they've just had but both of them also don't see why it should be. Ian runs his hand down Mickey's back and then trails his fingers back up before holding the name of his neck. Mickey shivers and does the same to Ian who can't stop himself from letting a quiet moan slip from his lips. They can both feel themselves growing hard but there's no panic or disgust felt. Their arms stay where they are as Ian pulls back a little to look at Mickey. He watches intently as Mickey runs his tongue over his lips and Ian wonders why he's never really noticed how soft and full those lips look. All he wants to do is touch them so he raises his hand up and traces Mickey's lips with his thumb. He feels helplessly drawn to them so he looks into Mickey's eyes as he lowers his head to touch his lips with his own. Gently pressing on them, feeling their softness. Mickey moans and pulls Ian closer so the kiss becomes deeper, they instinctively open their mouths and sigh as their tongues meet to dance around each other's mouths.

They feel like they never want this kiss to end. There's no embarrassment, it feels too right, too perfect to be wrong so they go with their feelings and explore each other's mouths while their fingers touch faces and run through hair. The kiss gets passionate enough for them both to need a breather but they seem to know simply to start kissing each other's necks and shoulders. They both lie down and Ian leans over Mickey so he can kiss his chest and stomach, then begins to lick a nipple and suck on it.

"Fuck Ian, that feels so good" gasps Mickey who can't believe the sensations he's feeling but knows he doesn't want them to stop. He's aware of Ian being the one giving him these sensations and his heart wants to burst with the emotions that are boiling up inside him. He wants Ian to feel this way too so he pushes Ian down and makes it his turn to kiss and lick Ian's chest and stomach paying more attention to his nipples. Ian moans and grabs Mickey's hair as he shivers with the excitement building up in him.

They eventually feel the need to look at each other and laugh at what has just happened between them. They know they're both extremely turned on right now, they both look down at each other boxers and see the tented material stretched over their erections. Ian turns on his side facing Mickey and begins to kiss him again while slipping a hand into the brunettes boxers and gently grabbing hold of his rock hard dick. Mickey moans into Ian's mouth before copying Ian's actions and wrapping his hand around Ian's cock and they both continue to kiss and stroke each other. Their kissing becomes more sexy and erotic the more they pump each other's cocks. Encouraging each other with their moans and telling each other how good it feels. Mickey moans and calls out that he's going to come soon and Ian feels those words go right to his dick as he lets Mickey know he's already there. They both come harder than they've ever felt before, moaning and swearing as they climax together. They both collapse on their backs with grins on their faces.

"Fuckin holy shit Ian!! We are doing THAT again!!" Mickey states as he's slowly coming back down to earth. "If this what being gay is, then I'm down for it!" He still can't quite believe the intensity of his orgasm, he knows it's because of Ian and the way they were kissing. 

"Mick, no shit! Hands down, the best I've ever felt. Kissing you blows my mind, feeling your lips on my body drives me crazy and FUCK!!! your hand stroking my dick, making me come is just insanely good!" Ian feels so many things right now, he's trying to sort them all out so he can make sense of it all. "I think we might be gay man! I'm definitely sure I'm gay for you, never been gay for anyone else. I fucking love you so much Mick!"

Mickey nods, "it's the same for me!, I don't want to do that with anyone else. It's just you and me. You fuckin just rocked my world Ian!, I love the shit out of you!"

They both lay there, arms wrapped around each other, blue eyes gazing into green, sharing the moment. Nothing needs to be said, everything they're feeling is transmitted by their eyes and their lips. They slowly begin to fall asleep, knowing they are both safe and happy in each other's arms. It's the most natural thing to both of them.

They've been asleep for a few hours when Mickey wakes up, gazing at Ian who is sleeping so peacefully beside him. He knows there and then that Ian is his soulmate, the one. He pictures them together for life, making memories and just loving each other. He lifts his hand to brush some strands of hair from Ian's face and Ian stirs awake to look at his beautiful friend and smiles. Their lips automatically move closer together and the kiss that follows stirs their cocks into action. They know they both want to repeat what they did earlier and with a smile, that's exactly what they do and damn, if it doesn't feel even better this time. They're both losing what little inhibitions they had and are very vocal and seem to love encouraging each other to be more daring. As a result, they are each driving the other crazy which adds to the enjoyment immensely. They don't feel the need to take things any further right now although it's on their minds and something they'll have to discuss but they have time and feel sure that when the time comes, they'll both know and be ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, any critique, good or bad, is welcome since I'm just beginning my first story.  
> Thanks for taking the time to read.  
> xx


	3. Never Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Ian and Mickey make sense of what their emotions are telling them, things are happening that burden them with a secret they must take to their graves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING  
> Attempted rape/incest

They wake up late the next morning and as Ian looks at his raven haired friend, the butterflies gather in his stomach and make his heart beat as fast as their wings flutter. He knows his eyes must be telling Mickey a million emotions but he's struggling to put any of them into words. These feelings are overwhelmingly raw, brand new and even though he's not afraid, he wonders, no, he hopes that Mickey is feeling them too.

"What's goin on in that ginger head of yours, hmm?" Ian almost jumps at the sound of Mickey's voice bringing him out of his thoughts. He looks again into the mesmerizing blue eyes of his friend and can't help but take his hand up to stroke the pale skin of Mickey's face. He's encouraged by the fact that Mickey doesn't flinch, he even seems to press lightly against Ian's hand.

"I'm just thinking" Ian says, pulling in a deep breath to give him strength to say what he needs to say, "last night was the best night I've ever had Mick, I wanna do it again and again but I still want what we had before too. I don't want shit to change between us and we forget about being best friends and turn into something else" Ian feels Mickey's arms pulling him closer and he smiles. " I'm feeling a whole shit ton of stuff I don't fully understand yet but I know it's all good stuff and it's all about you. It's like I love you like I always have but there's more there now, like I'm about to explode with love because it's trying so hard to get out" Ian gives a shy smile and feels his face blush slightly.

"Ian, look at me!" Mickey takes his hands and holds them to each of Ian's cheeks. He somehow wants to do everything he can to convey what he's about to say. "Nothing will ever change between you and me, yeah, we're best friends, but what we did last night made us even better. I can't explain it myself yet but I do know I'm fuckin happy we did what we did!. I'll never regret opening those doors that makes us even closer, makes us feel the shit we're feeling. Those doors are wide open now and they ain't closing" Mickey giggles at that last statement, making Ian laugh too.

"So are we like dating now?, seeing each other?, boyfriends even?" Ian nervously asks, fiddling with Mickey's hair as he waits for a reply.

"Hmm" Mickey bites his bottom lip as he looks up, as if in deep thought. He can feel Ian becoming more tense by the second while he waits. Mickey suddenly bursts out laughing, grabbing Ian into a hug as he does. "You dork! How can you even ask?, Of course we're boyfriends Ian, I love you so much and I can't ever imagine that changing. We're together, period!. We do have to be sneaky about it though man, as much as I don't care who knows about us, you know my Dad can't. Thankfully he's in jail pretty much all the time nowadays." Mickey kisses Ian gently, it's just a brush of their lips together but it's enough to calm the thoughts rushing through their minds as to what would happen if Terry knew what his son was doing. "When we're out of here, in college, we can be free Ian, look forward to that. Please don't give up on me while I can't be who I want to be for you" Mickey hears his voice tighten and stops breathing while he forces himself not to tear up.

"Mickey, for fucks sake!! I'm not going anywhere!!, I know what Terry is like, I'd never ask you to do anything that would risk him finding out about us. I'm with you 100%. Anyway, it'll be good to keep our secret for a while, just you and me, in our little bubble, I don't want people to know just yet. I just want us to be together when we can, to enjoy what we have", Ian is grinning as he lays back and pulls Mickey down so that the brunette's head is on his chest. They both lay there contentedly, holding onto each other. "I love you so much Mick, I can't be without you ever, that would kill me!" Mickey looks up at him before holding his finger to Ian's lips, as if to stop him from saying anything more. Ian opens his mouth and let's Mickey's finger fall into it before he closes his lips around it and uses his tongue to flicker over the finger. Mickey's breath hitches as he watches intently as Ian's red lips move over his digit and as Ian begins to suck on it, Mickey can't control the moan that escapes from his mouth. He instinctively imagines how Ian's mouth would feel wrapped around his dick doing what he's doing now with his tongue.

Mickey groans and launches himself at Ian, finding himself laying on top of him as their lips crash together in haste. They hungrily begin their kiss, tongues fighting for control and lips moving together effortlessly. Their hands are everywhere all at once, touching, feeling, grasping, pulling while at the same time, their bodies are moving together because their dicks are rock hard and rubbing against each other and the feeling is just too good. There's no words, just moans and sighs as they kiss like their young lives depended upon it. The moans get louder as they press their bodies together tighter to get even more of the unbelievably good feelings that they are producing from each other. The boys are in their bubble and they can't get enough of the sensations that are coursing through them. They look at each other as they tense up knowing that they're about to come, both of them want to see the others face as they experience the release. When they do, they both know that they've just witnessed the most beautiful thing they've ever seen. It fills their hearts till it's overflowing and they hold one another knowing what they have is very special

1 month later

The boys are walking to their first day of High School and while Ian is feeling upbeat about it, Mickey's face can't hide his disdain. Things between them are great, better than great but now that Terry is back, they have been limited to the amount of time they spend alone. They have a secret place they go to but they both, very quickly, got used to falling asleep and waking up together wrapped up in each other's arms.

Mandy, Mickey's sister catches up with them and slings an arm around each of the boys shoulders.

"Jesus, can you believe we are starting school??...we are gonna fuckin run that place before long" she yells. Ian smiles at her and shakes his head. It always amazes him that Mandy can be so like Mickey. Their demeanors are identical. Ian has a lot of time for Mandy, shes become a good friend to him and they like the same things so always have plenty to talk about. Mandy is a lot more outgoing than Mickey and Ian often wonders if his boyfriend wishes he could be more like her.

Their school day turned out to be ok. Not a lot happened, just a bunch of orientation so the boys spent most of it hanging around the bleachers. That seemed to be the place where the cool people were. A lot of smoking cigarettes and blunts was going on and Mickey, being Mickey, got accepted into the bad boys group in seconds. He dragged Ian over too and when an eyebrow was raised by one of the seniors, Mickey was quick to let them all know, "where I go, he goes" before raising an eyebrow of his own. Ian loved how much Mickey's eyebrows could express what he was feeling at any given time. He thought it was hot, but then everything about his boyfriend was hot.

A few weeks later, they were hanging out at Mickey's place doing homework when Mandy came in. She looked at them and unsuccessfully tried to hold back tears as she ran to her room. The boys looked at each other, Mickey shrugged and carried on with his math. Ian got up.

"I got this" he said as he walked to Mandy's door and knocked. "Mandy, it's Ian, can I come in?" The door opened and Mandy let him in while she flopped back onto her bed. Ian sat beside her and put his arm around her. "What's up?, I've never seen you upset before so it must be something I should be worried about"

"I can't tell you Ian, I want to but the shit will really hit the fan if I do" she sobbed into his shoulder. "Mickey will go crazy, I know he will, I can't let him do that, he'll end up in juvie or worse!!" Ian's heart skipped a beat at the thought but he now also knew that whatever was bothering Mandy had to be something pretty fucking bad.

"Mands, you can tell me then I'll decide if Mickey should know or not. If it's something I can help with then we can deal with it. You have to let me know though, I can't bear to see you like this." Mandy, slowly looked up at him through her long dark hair. The fear on her face gave Ian the chills but he stayed strong and nodded at her to go on.

"My Dad... he's been drinking a lot and getting me mixed up with Mom, calling me her name, stuff like that but last night he came into my room and tried to have sex with me. Ian he honestly thinks I'm Mom when he's shit faced, what am I going to do, I'm so scared." Ian pulled Mandy to him and held her tight, letting her sob so she could get it all out. He stroked her hair and rocked her while his mind raced, wondering what to do about Terry. He knew he'd have to tell Mickey, no way was he keeping this from him. Mickey would never forgive him. No, he knew he'd have to get Mick away, tell him, let him vent and get angry and then try to stop him from doing something very stupid. Ian needed a plan, and fast!

At some point, Mandy had fallen asleep, tired out from the crying she'd done. Ian got her settled in bed and had the foresight to leave her a note saying that Mick and him had gone out but would be back soon, adding that if she needed to get away from Terry, then she could go to his place.

He left the room and found Mickey in the kitchen eating a sandwich. He walked over and gave his boyfriend a hug and asked him to go for a walk with him. Mickey furrowed his brow but agreed, he knew something wasn't right but he knew Ian too well to question him about why the walk was necessary. They left the house and started walking, Ian leading the way. Ian had thought about going to the abandoned building that Mickey used when he was frustrated about something but he didn't want to take him anywhere that could be sullied by the memory of what he was about to tell him. He decided on a place they'd never been before. Neutral territory if you will. An old quarry that wasn't in use anymore. They sat down when they got there and threw some rocks into the deep pool of rainwater that filled the quarry.

"Mick, I don't even know where to start..."

"Man!!" Mickey interrupted, "if you're breaking up with me..." Ian put his arm around Mickey to quieten him.

"It's nothing like that Mick, I promise. This is about Mandy."

"What about her?" His boyfriend asked, looking confused. "She's not knocked up is she??" Ian decides he's got to get it out there fast before Mickey let's his mind explode.

"Look at me Mick, she's told me what's happened and she was terrified to tell you so you have to promise me not to go full on beast mode with this ok?" Mickey's eyes search Ian's for a hint of what's going on but he nods slowly, unsure if he can keep his promise already. "Ok, so Terry's been drinking a lot yeah?, turns out, when he's been really drunk, he's been calling Mandy by your Mom's name, mistaking her for your Mom. I guess she looks a lot like her. Mickey looks as if he's about to say something but Ian holds his hand up so he can continue, not wishing to delay this any longer. "Mick, your Dad took it a step further last night and tried to have sex with Mandy. Nothing happened!! She got away before anything did but we are gonna have to stop him doing it again. Should we get him arrested or something?"

Mickey's face is unreadable to Ian, he's never seen this face before and would quite happily never see it again. He's hurt, Ian can tell but above all else, he's livid, as if his blood is boiling in his veins, his hands are clenched so tight that his knuckles are deathly white. 

"Ian, that bastard is gonna die" Mickey spits out the words while looking straight ahead, a stone cold expression on his face. Ian goes into panic mode inside but knows he has to be strong for Mick.

"Mick, I know you want to kill him, I'd already predicted that but you can't ruin your life for that asshole. You'd just be another notch on the fucking baseball bat that he uses to fuck up people's lives. We need a plan, this isn't the time to act instinctively!"

"Oh, and what do you suggest Ian, huh? Mickey yells, before getting up and pacing back and forth. Ian can tell he has to diffuse the ticking time bomb that is his boyfriend so he gets up, grabs Mickey roughly and doesn't let go until his arms are around him and Mick has stopped fighting the embrace. 

"I think we need time to decide Mick, I want to shoot the fucker myself but I know that's not the right thing for either of us. We'd have to live with the fact that we killed someone, even if he is an evil, incestuous fuck. We can't deal with that burden hanging over us when we want to get away from here and start afresh, have a good life together. Do you see where I'm going with this Mick?" Ian is desperate to convince his boyfriend not to do what he so strongly wants to do but in his head, he's already got the gears in motion, thinking of ways to take the opportunity away from his soulmate. Mickey pulls back to look at Ian and nods as he grabs Ian's hand and starts walking. 

They get back to the house and Ian tells Mickey to check on his sister. He hears them talking and crying as he quickly grabs the phone and looks up Iggy's number. When Iggy answers, Ian tells him to meet him under the El at the building site in 5 minutes. He then knocks on Mandy's door before entering, asking if the brother and sister need anything, noticing that they both look so young and innocent at that moment, holding each other for comfort. Ian walks over and kisses each of them on top of their heads before saying that he's running home to pick up a book for school.

He meets Iggy and informs him of what his father has done. Telling Iggy that he's hopefully convinced Mickey not to do anything stupid and that he hopes he won't either. What Ian wants Iggy to do is to get in touch with his older brothers. They will know better what to do, whether that be getting Terry arrested or something else. Ian knows there would be no point in sitting Terry down to warn him not to do that kinda shit again. Terry thinks he's invincible and has no ability to fear anyone. Iggy thanks Ian for clueing him into what's happened and with a fist bump he sets off on his way to find his brothers. Ian watches him go, hoping that he's done the right thing since it's the only thing he can think of.

He makes a quick stop at home, letting Fiona know there may be some extra people sleeping over tonight because all is not good at the Milkoviches. He's not planning on taking Mickey and Mandy back there but it's good to know that they have a back up plan.

He's back at the Milkovich house before long and finds the brother and sister watching TV. He sits down beside them informs them that he's staying the night. He's not going to sleep, he knows Mick won't either, he just wants to be there with his boyfriend while they wait like guard dogs for Terry coming home. There's an air of trepidation hanging around them, even as they hustle around each other making dinner. Ian will often find his boyfriend or Mandy looking at him with a mixture of fear and awe. Fear because they have no idea what will happen in the hours to come, awe because they're realizing how strong Ian can be at such a time as this. They know he's the one holding them together so they don't fall apart and Ian feels appreciated but mostly happy that he can do what he can for them.

Mandy goes to bed around midnight leaving Ian and Mickey sitting on the sofa, the TV is on but they're too occupied with their thoughts to notice what is on. Ian suddenly feels Mickey's hand on his and he turns his around so they can interlace their fingers and grip tightly. Ian pulls Mickey's hand up to his lips to kiss it and gives his gorgeous boyfriend a small smile to reassure him. They know that's all they can do for now. They both would love to be comforting one another in more ways but the risk of being caught is too dangerous. So they sit there, saying everything they want to say without words. Their eyes do the talking and both feel the strong intimacy between them.

It's almost 3am when the front door opens, making them both scramble to their feet nervously. When they see it's Iggy and Tony they can't help but let out huge breaths of relief. Tony gestures for them all to sit down before asking where Mandy is. He seems pleased to be told she's asleep. He looks at Ian as if trying to decide if he should be here for what he's about to say.

"Ian, I was thinking of asking you to leave right now but since you're the one who organized this, I'm gonna let you sit with us. You've shown your loyalty to the family and for that, I owe you." Ian nods, then looks at Mickey who can only be described as looking at Ian with a huge amount of respect and wonder. Ian gives him a shy smile before looking back at Tony. "Ok, I know you three are well equipped to look after yourselves in this place. If you need help with the bills or whatever, just let me know." He takes a breath before continuing, "Terry won't be coming back. I'm not going to explain to you all what went down but I just needed to put your minds at rest and let you know he's gone for good. No more to say." Tony then rises to his feet and goes to leave but before he can, Ian walks over to him and holds out his hand. Tony looks down at it, then shrugs as he takes Ian's hand and shakes it, his face breaking into a grin as he ruffles Ian's hair. "A good friend you've got here Mickey, look after him" he says as he turns to look at his youngest brother. Mickey just nods and shakes his head in disbelief at Ian before giving him a huge ass grin. Tony leaves and the three of them look at each other before laughing and making their way to the bedrooms.

Ian can feel the pressure dissipate from the house he's spent so much time in over the years. There's no more opression, no more wondering if Terry will walk through the door looking for someone to lash out on. Him and Mickey just get into bed and wrap themselves around each other before falling into a carefree sleep with smiles on their faces. 

Tomorrow is a new day. The first day that they can be who they want to be. A day when Mandy will wake up and find she never has to be scared of her Father again. The three Southside kids that have been through so much have a fresh start and they're going to grab it with both hands and never let go.


	4. Free To Be Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking up for our boys until a spot of jealousy rears it's ugly head!.

A few months later.

Both the boys are enjoying a lazy Saturday morning, lounging in front of the TV watching cartoons and laughing their asses off. The freedom they now enjoy gives them the chance to be kids when all they had before were worries and responsibilities. They still often have to be mature beyond their years with both of them helping to keep families and homes running smoothly so they relish the times that they can act their age.

The same goes for the physical side of their relationship.They are content with the place they have been in for a while and are in no hurry to move further on. They're not scared or apprehensive about taking things further, they just want to take their time. They are both still only 14 although Mickey is turning 15 in a week. As always, he's warned everyone that he wants no fuss about his birthday and assumes they've taken that on board. Ian on the other hand, hasn't listened and wants to make Mickey's 15th a day to remember. Something good he can look back on in years to come. Iggy and Mandy are in on the surprise and Mandy in particular is beyond excited at what Ian has planned. 

Ian hears her singing to herself in the kitchen and telling his boyfriend he's going to grab them some coffee, he joins her to talk about the party they're going to be throwing for Mickey. They discuss where they are with the invites and who's definitely said they're coming before Ian nods his head looking pleased. Ian starts up the coffee machine after filling it while Mandy watches on, sitting on the counter swinging her legs.

"Ian....if I ask you something, do you promise to answer me truthfully?" Ian looks up at her and grins, knowing full well he couldn't lie to his second best friend.

"Sure, I promise Mands, fire away"

"Are you and my brother boyfriend and boyfriend? I'm only asking because I see the way you guys look at each other and it's so sweet and I don't care if you guys are, I think it's awesome and I really want you to be happy!!" Mandy takes a breath after letting all of what she said out at once. Ian looks at her and asks for a few minutes before he answers. Then he goes out to where Mickey is and sits down.

"Babe, your sister wants to know if we're a couple. I want to know how you feel about her knowing before giving her an answer. I'll find it hard to lie to her but I'd do it if you're not comfortable with it" Mickey laughs.

"That sneaky bitch has always known how to read me like a book....MANDY!!!!" he yells as Ian looks on wide-eyed. Mandy runs into the room, trying to look oblivious to what's going on and failing miserably. She looks at her brother and Ian waiting for one of them to say something. Mickey is the one to break the silence. "Yes, Miss Nosy Norah, Ian and me are boyfriends but we're not ready to broadcast it live from Times Square yet so you need to keep your mouth shut until we are, got it?" Mandy squeals and jumps on the boys, showing her delight at the news.

"I knew it, I fucking knew it!!!, I think it's so cute, you guys!!, I won't say a word, I promise." Mickey moans, already regretting his decision to tell her but he can't keep the grin off his face. If he's honest with himself, it feels good to let someone else know about him and Ian. Mandy would have been first on his list anyways so no harm done. He looks over at Ian who has obviously given him his stamp of approval on telling Mandy judging by look he has on his face. Mickey suddenly has the urge to give his boyfriend a kiss and without even thinking about the consequences, he leans over and starts kissing the face off of Ian. It's one of those kisses that makes both boys' toes curl and they find themselves unwilling to stop, not even when Mandy starts making noises like she's going to puke and runs away laughing.

Mickey's surprise party.

On the morning of Mickey's birthday, Ian wakes him up by running his fingers up and down his stomach. Mickey moans and twitches before opening his eyes and finds Ian smiling down at him. 

"Happy Birthday babe" Ian whispers as he kisses the spot on his boyfriends neck that he's discovered drives the brunette crazy with lust. "I'll give you your card in a while, I just need to give you your present first" mumbles Ian as he continues his onslaught on Mickey's neck and jawline, kissing, biting and licking, making him shiver and gasp with need. Ian slowly works his way up to Mickey's sexy, plump lips and uses his teeth to pull the bottom one down and suck on it before kissing him deeply and so erotically that Mickey thinks he might come all over the bed. His moans giving Ian an idea of how much he's affecting his boyfriend right now. He pulls back to begin making the journey down, using his lips and tongue as often as he can to give Mickey the most pleasure he can possibly give. It's all about him today. The beautiful boy lying there, his blue eyes almost black with desire, his lips swollen from the kiss. Ian moans as he continues down circling his lover's tummy button with his tongue before delving into uncharted territory.

He hears Mickey gasp as Ian takes his dick into his hand, running his hand up and down the shaft. He looks up to the brunette to see him raised up on his elbows watching and Ian gets so turned on by the sight that he slips his tongue out to lap at the slit of Mickey's big, thick cock. 

"Ian, babe, holy fuck that's good" whispers Mickey as Ian's tongue flickers all over the head and then flattens out to give one long, slow lick up the vein on the underside. "Uuugh, mmm, I..." Ian loves that he's rendered his boyfriend speechless already so he takes Mickey's dick into his mouth, sliding his lips slowly down until the head is pushing against his throat. Rolling his tongue around it and moaning. At this point, all he can hear from Mickey is moans, panting and gasps. He sucks on his dick pulling back until it leaves his mouth with a pop then he repeats his actions but a little faster. Mickey's hands suddenly appear on Ian's head and push down when Ian has his cock deep in his mouth letting Ian know how much he loves that move in particular so Ian does it more and more until Mickey's moans indicate he's close to letting loose. That's when Ian kicks things up a gear and begins sucking and bobbing up and down on his cock while using his hand to caress the base of it and his other hand begins to fondle his balls.

"Fuck, shit!! FUUUCK Ian, I'm cumming!!! Mickey empties himself into Ian's mouth while Ian sucks him dry and swallows it down. Noting that the taste isn't as bad as he imagined it would be. He let's go of his boyfriend's now super sensitive dick and grins up at Mickey who is slowly coming back to the real world. Mickey's face is a picture, blissed out and completely undone and Ian knows that he'll never see anything sexier than that. He scoots up the bed to kiss his beautiful boyfriends lips. "Ian, that was the best fuckin Birthday present I'll ever get. I loved it, you have no idea how good it feels but I plan on showing you very soon. I love you Ian, sooo much!" Ian is happy that his first surprise has been a success.

"I love you Mick, and I fucking love sucking on your cock. That's gotta be an everyday occurrence from now on" he laughs but he actually means it. Having his lips wrapped around that cock felt amazing and turned him on so much. He'd have come ages ago if he hadn't been so intent on giving Mickey the Birthday wake up he deserved. Ian gets up, not really wanting to be parted from the boy lying in front of him but he has a Birthday breakfast to prepare so telling Mickey to stay in bed, he throws on some sweats and makes his way to the kitchen. All the plans are finalized, so he has the day free to spoil his hot boyfriend.

Later on, there's just a few hours until the party starts. Mandy and Iggy are in charge of decorations, food and drinks. Ian has convinced Mickey to come to his place for a while to play the new Call of Duty which has only just been released. They're also going to drag Lip back home with them because he has some kick-ass weed so Mickey is looking forward to a night of getting wasted and watching movies. Ian thought it was about time that Lip became friendly with Mickey. Ian has always been close with his older brother and he'd like to hang out with him more. Mick took a while to interact with Lip but the game and the weed has helped him open up and the two are getting along pretty good now. Ian makes a suggestion to head to Mick's when he's sure that the party will be in full swing when they arrive and they set off on the short walk there. Ian texts Mandy to let her know with a smile on his face.

Mickey walks in the door to be greeted with a mass of people he recognizes from school yelling "SURPRISE!!!" at the top of their lungs, then someone starts the music playing and Mandy and Iggy come over to wish their brother Happy Birthday. Ian watches Mick closely hoping he's not too pissed off at the surprise party and he's glad to see that his boyfriend, although shocked, has a grin on his face. He turns to Ian, raising his eyebrows and putting his head to one side as if to say "I know this was your idea" but he gestures towards the bedroom, making it look like they're dumping their coats in there but when the get in the room, Mickey puts his arms around Ian's waist and kisses him before thanking him for an awesome day.

They open the door and proceed to have a great time. Everyone is in high spirits and enjoying themselves to the max. Ian searches out Mandy and Iggy and thanks them for all their help. They, in turn, thank Ian for giving him a Birthday to remember. Lip joins the group and Mandy grabs him, dragging him off to dance. Ian laughs because he's never known Lip to be a dancer!.He sees Mickey and watches him laughing and talking animatedly with some friends from school and Ian feels his heart bursting with joy for the boy he loves who's having the time of his life. 

At around 2am, the party is winding down, most guests have already left, too wasted to carry on but raving about how good the party was. Ian didn't drink too much on purpose as he wanted Mick to have all the fun and if he was too shit-faced to get to bed, at least Ian could help him. Mandy and him decide that the guests they can't waken up will just have to sleep where they are and all tidying up can be done in the morning. Ian turns to see his boyfriend staggering towards him and smiles as Mick puts his arm around him and thanks him for what could be the 100th time for the party. Ian suggests it might be bedtime and Mickey raises an eyebrow and bites his bottom lip, making Ian giggle.

"Yeah tough guy, we'll see if you're up for it in the morning with a stinking hangover" Mickey mumbles something about never getting hungover as Ian guides him into the bedroom. His boyfriend collapses on the bed and happily let's Ian undress him down to his boxers then sits him up before sitting beside him. He pulls a box out of his pocket and tells Mickey that this is his final present of the day. Mickey accepts it and kisses Ian lightly before opening the box. "It's a promise ring Mick, I promise to always be yours if you'll have me. I promise to be your best friend and the best boyfriend I can be." Mick looks at the ring, taking it from the box. He gazes at it, thinking it's perfect for him, his boyfriend knows him so well. The ring is silver and looks like centimeter high bullets joined together to make a band. He notices something on the inside of it and studies it to see some engraving there. Ian + Mickey 4ever. The brunette gulps and looks up at Ian with tears in his eyes.

"It's fuckin beautiful babe, just like you. Thank you so much, I can't even tell you what this means to me"

"Shhh, you don't have to Mick, I can see how much you love it" and with that Ian takes the ring and slips it onto the third finger of his right hand, kissing the ring once it's in place. Ian stands to quickly get undressed as Mickey stares at his ring and kisses it too. Then they both get into bed to kiss and hold each other close with Mickey falling asleep first as Ian curls his body around him.

3 weeks later.

The boys are blissfully happy, still in their bubble and it's perfect. Mandy's promise is holding good and she hasn't told a soul. She loves her boys and the ever growing bond they have. Sometimes it almost brings her to tears when she sees how in love they are. She is happy too because she has a little secret of her own. She really took a shine to Lip at the party and they've spent some time getting to know each other since. They've shared a few kisses and she's excited for what's to come. Lip has made it clear he really likes her and they're going on a proper date at the weekend.

Mickey's party was the talk of the school for days. Everyone talked about how good it was and how they couldn't even remember how they got home. If you were to ask Mickey about school, he'd shrug his shoulders and roll his eyes but he works hard to make the grades and keep the dream alive. He still has fun at school when he's around Ian and his friends. Sometimes he has to kick the shit out of some asshole who looks at him the wrong way and he still feels like he needs to protect Ian although Ian clearly can look after himself. Ian may look cute and innocent but he has a wild temper and Mickey has seen him in action when it rears it ugly head. 

Ian would say he enjoys school but he too gets disillusioned with it sometimes but like Mickey he gets the grades and tries to behave most of the time. This can prove difficult when there happens to be a vast amount of morons at the school but thankfully not many bother him or Mick. The school knows how tight the friends are and most of the students have a healthy amount of fear for Mickey since his reputation commands it. Everything is fine until one day a new kid starts at the school and is put into their class. He's from Florida with blonde hair and a tan. Teeth so white that you have to wear sunglasses to look at him. He's obviously gay and tells everyone within a minute of knowing them. Ian takes an instant dislike to him so avoids him at all costs but after lunch, Ian strolls into their next class to find the guy sitting next to his boyfriend. With no hesitation, Ian strides up to him to inform him that it's his seat he's sitting in so he'll have to move. Mickey is still laughing at whatever the idiot said before Ian got there and looks up at Ian.

"Ian, man, this is Edward" he says, not yet sensing Ian's mood is taking a downward spiral.

"Yeah?" replies Ian, "Well EdTURD can get his ass outta my seat and fuck off back to Florida to swim with alligators for all I care!" 

"Jeez Mickey" Edward looks at Mick, "You need some new friends man, this one here won't let you play with anyone else" He gets up out of the chair and laughs in Ian's face before walking to an empty seat. Ian glares at him before sitting down.

"Fucking hell Ian, what's got into you?...the dude was just being nice" the brunette looks at Ian with his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline. 

"I hate that fucker already" mumbles Ian as the teacher enters the class and starts the lesson. Ian is hoping that Mick is taking notes because Ian can't concentrate for shit. He's never been the jealous type but seeing Edward with Mickey made him flip. He wanted to gut the blonde haired prick like a fish. For the rest of the lesson, try as he might, Ian couldn't calm down. He knew he couldn't justify telling the shithead to keep away from his boyfriend without making him and probably most of the school suspicious as to why he wanted that. It's not like he'd ever gone round asking anyone else not to talk to Mick. He knew he'd have to ask Mickey to stay away from Edward instead and he wasn't sure how Mick would feel about that and the fact that Ian was jealous as all hell. He'd talk to him tonight after school he decided.

As it happened, things came to a head before Ian got the chance to talk to Mickey. Ian had a half hour session with the debate club after school and Mickey always waited for him at the bleachers. Ian was making his way there when he spotted his boyfriend in his usual hang out before noticing who was with him and the closer Ian got, the more he seen how Blondie was edging his way closer to Mickey as he sat beside him. Having their backs to him made it easy for Ian to get near enough to hear what was being said and the more he heard, the more his blood boiled.

"Mick, you don't need to put up with people like Ian, he seems unstable if you ask me!"

"Look, you don't know Ian, he's my best friend and we've been through so much shit together, you wouldn't believe it. Oh, and another thing, don't call me Mick, that name is reserved for one person only to use it"

"Okay Mickey, I'm just saying, I really like you, I'd happily be your best friend and treat you better than Ian ever could" Edward says. He then raises his hand and runs it through Mickey's hair. Ian has seem enough but before he can get around the bleachers he hears Mickey's voice.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing you fuckin weirdo?! Keep you hands to yourself from now on or I swear to God, I will punch your teeth so far down your throat, you'll have to stick a fucking toothbrush up your ass to brush them!" Ian appears just in time to see Edward try to grab Mickey telling him he wanted him so much and offering to blow him right there, right now. Ian launches himself at Blondie knocking him to the ground before sitting on him and punching his pretty little face repeatedly. Mickey tries to pull him off after getting a few kicks in to make himself feel better. He finally succeeds in getting Ian up.

"Stay the fuck away from MICK you slimy fuckin creep!!" yelled Ian as he and Mickey make their way towards the school exit, leaving Edward lying there. They knew he wasn't badly hurt, the idiot was just feeling sorry for himself. 

"Babe, you've really got to start realizing when someone is coming onto you" Ian states, laughing. "I knew from the get go that he had eyes for you, that's why I was so jealous in class. Man, I almost flipped big time when I saw him talking to you back there, fuckin slimeball was all over you. I've never been so mad with jealousy!" Mick looks at Ian in amazement.

"Why would you be jealous Ian?, A million guys could offer themselves to me and I'd turn every single one of those fuckers down. You're the only one for me, I swear on my life. I obviously can be oblivious to the dorks who may come onto me, I'm no expert on reading people as far as that's concerned but it still doesn't change the fact that I don't or will I ever see anyone else in the way I see you." Ian looks suitably placated by this statement and he grins at his boyfriend before grabbing his hand and kissing the promise ring. "I think the time has come Ian, we need to come out, let people know we're together. Hopefully, shit like this won't happen then and you've gotta admit, it'll be pretty cool not to have to hide anymore. I want to hold your hand in public and kiss you when I get the urge to."

"Mick, wow, are you sure?, You gotta be sure about this because we can't take it back once it's done" Ian feels his heart filling up again like it has so many times before with the things Mickey says that surprise him.

"Yeah, I'm sure Ian, no more hiding. We'll tell the families first of course, then I'm sure it won't take long for the news to get around the school. I'm guessing about 15 minutes will do it" he laughs before holding Ian's sweet face in his hands. "I love you my green eyed jealous boyfriend, who by the way, really turned me on back there showing his jealous streak" they both laugh before their lips touch and move together in synchronicity making the two boys moan into each other's mouths.

That evening, they make an unannounced visit to the Gallagher house where they proceed to tell them all about their relationship. Fiona looks shocked but says she always suspected that Ian was gay and that she's fine with it as long as they treat each other right and don't move too fast. Lip doesn't look phased by it at all which impresses the hell out of the boys so Lip decides it's not a good idea to state that he already knew thanks to Mandy. Debbie and Carl are cool with them being together but Carl feels the need to start asking a lot of embarrassing questions so the boys take that as their cue to leave. Little Liam, the newest addition to the Gallagher family thanks to Monica is fast asleep and too young to tell and thankfully Frank hasn't showed his ugly mug for days. Ian let's them all know he doesn't want him to be told, he doesn't deserve to know shit about Ian's life. They leave and head home, Ian really does feel like the Milkovich house is home for him, to tell Iggy who ribs them for a while before saying that he thinks it's pretty fucking cool that they've found something so special. The boys grin at each other before disappearing into the bedroom to practice their blow job techniques since they can't stop discovering things that feel really good!.


	5. There's a First Time For Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are now Sophomores and it seems they are ready to try something they have yet to experience.

Ian and Mickey are walking through the school corridors on their way to lunch. Their hands are clasped together as they're discussing the movie they saw the previous night. They had gone to the movie theater, which they didn't do very often, preferring to stay at home so they could make out in private. This movie though, they had been waiting for it's release so they excitedly went to see it, buying popcorn, hot dogs and candy to make the experience even more enjoyable. The superhero flick turned out to be so bad ass that they barely even kissed for the entire movie, which to them, meant it was easily the best they'd seen in a long time.

"Ohh man, when his superpower was revealed, I could have jizzed in my pants!" exclaimed Mickey grinning at his boyfriend as he nods quickly in agreement.

"Yeah babe, that's when I knew the baddies were done for, I mean if you have the ability to become invisible AND gain the strength of a dozen men, you're pretty much invincible right?" Ian flexes his muscles for effect as Mickey looks on and sticks his tongue into the side of his mouth while raising an eyebrow. Ian quietly moans as the brunette's expression sends tingles to his groin. Ian has to take a deep breath to alleviate the stirrings of a full on boner, something he's pretty used to doing in school nowadays. He moves towards his hot boyfriend, whispering "you're a bad boy, Mickey Milkovich, I'll deal with you later" before kissing him gently. Ian laughs as he looks at Mickey to see his eyes widen and glass over as he thinks about what might happen later.

They enter the cafeteria and sit at their usual table joining Mandy, Lip and a couple of seniors called Zack and Addie who Mickey is friends with. They pull out packed lunches which they make each morning. The food in the cafeteria is barely edible in their opinion so making lunches is a thing the boys have done for months now. It somehow makes them feel oddly domesticated as they move around the kitchen completely in sync with each other as they prepare sandwiches, fruit and salad for the day ahead.

The talk of the table is mostly Mandy raving about the school dance that's taking place in a month. Lip has already asked her and she's already so excited about it, no-one has the heart to tell her to shut up. She's involved with the preparations, specifically decorating the hall and it's the first time she's ever been involved in such a thing. Before, she'd always been the angry, violent girl with a reputation but since being told that her Dad wasn't ever coming back, she has evolved like a butterfly escaping it's cocoon. Her smile can light up a room and Ian and Mickey never tire of seeing her happy.

"Are you guys going to the dance?" Mandy asks, looking at the boys.

"Uhh, I've never been to a dance, never even thought about it to be honest" splutters Mickey. He doesn't even know what goes on at a dance, let alone the fact that he's never danced before. He actually feels sick at the thought of having to dance and make an idiot of himself by looking like a dork.

"Me either" adds Ian, "I guess it's something we should do sometime just for the memories" he says, looking at his boyfriend and seeing the pained expression on his face. "We have plenty of time to go to a dance if we decide to" he explains as his hand finds Mickey's thigh under the table. The soft stroking movements he makes are enough to calm his blue eyed boy and Mickey's face softens as he looks at Ian. Mickey is never surprised anymore at the redheads ability to ease his nerves, take away the worry but it still makes him that much more in awe of him and forever grateful that he's his boyfriend. He'll never take him for granted.

Later on that day as they're walking home, Ian brings up the dance explaining that they don't ever have to go to one if it'd make Mick uncomfortable. Although Ian doesn't have a problem with going, he would never expect his love to do something he didn't want to.

"What happens at these dances anyways?" asks Mickey. "What's all the fuss about?"

"Well, it's a chance to get dressed up, mostly for the girls obviously, there's food, punch, which usually gets spiked" he explains laughing. "and dancing, sometimes to a band, sometimes a DJ." Ian quickly adds that the dancing isn't conditional.

"Yeah, I've never danced in my life Ian, don't even know if I can" Mickey laughs nervously, "everything else, I don't have a problem with, in fact, spiking the punch sounds like my kinda thing!" Ian rolls his eyes at the thought, knowing that his boyfriend's idea of spiking punch would probably result in a few hospitalizations due to alcohol poisoning.

"We can practice dancing Mick, I'll show you how. It's easy!" Ian's voice has gone up a few octaves at the idea of taking Mick to a high school dance as a couple. He knows he shouldn't get his hopes up but the more he thinks about sharing the experience with his boyfriend, the more his heart flutters. Mickey is watching his beautiful redhead, he sees how much he wants to go to the dance. He knows he's done because he'd do anything for that boy, he'll spend his life doing what he can to put a smile on his gorgeous face.

"Ok, ok, no promises, let's try the dancing thing. You have to be honest with me if I suck at it babe, then we decide about this dance, right?" He gets his answer when he feels Ian's arms wrapped around his waist, lifting him off the ground. "Put me the fuck down, you moron!!" Mickey yells but he's smiling because Ian's smiling and a happy Ian makes a happy Mickey. They stop their walk home to share a kiss, just a chaste one but enough to last until they get home.

Ian's Birthday

2 weeks later and it's Ian's birthday tomorrow. Mickey has been helping his brother out by doing a few non-illegal things here and there for the past year in order to bring some money into the household. Iggy earns money too by doing some not so legal things plus Ian starts working at the mini-mart down the street in a week. They keep the finances afloat pretty well considering. Mickey has done a few extra things for Tony that Ian doesn't know about in order to give him a 15th birthday that he hopes will be just as good as his was, if not better! He has Mandy's help of course and needed it when it came to organizing the party but certain things he wanted to do himself such as picking out the perfect gift and some other stuff he had to get. Mickey is beyond excited for tomorrow but has managed to hide it well, not wanting Ian to suspect a thing.

They go to bed that night and talk about Ian turning 15 and what that means. They have been really careful about taking things slow and trying not to do too much, too soon, always leaving something to look forward to but the past couple of months have been difficult for the boys as they try to reign their emotions and urges in. It's always been a hope of theirs to wait until they're both at least 15 before having sex and so they've been doing some research on it. Not by watching porn but through a proper website that explains to young guys what to expect and how to prepare for it. They now know it's not quite as simple as sticking their dick in and going for gold. They've discussed who'd be top and who'd be bottom and have come to the conclusion that they should try both as how would they ever know for sure otherwise. Mickey does really like the idea of being a bottom though which pleases Ian as he can't wait to try being a top.

Mickey has told Ian he needs an early night because he's working for Tony in the morning but in truth, he just wants to get up early and not waste a second of the day as he plans on smothering Ian with birthday love and spoiling him. He's asked Iggy and Mandy to make themselves scarce by 10am for reasons known only to himself. So, the boys enjoy some kissing and hold each other tight as they fall asleep contentedly.

Mickey's alarm wakes them at 8am and Ian groans, complaining about how it's just so wrong for Mickey to have to work on today of all days. Mickey keeps up the pretence by hugging his boyfriend close and suggesting Ian joins him in the shower before he has to go. Ian leaps out of bed, pulling Mickey with him towards the bathroom that fortunately is attached to Mickey's room. They both get rid of their boxers while waiting for the water to warm up and then dive into the shower, immediately finding each other's mouths to kiss under the cascading water. Pressing their bodies together results in moans and declarations of love as the boys grind against each other while their lips caress lips, necks, shoulders. Their hands are rampantly moving all over until coming to rest on each other's asses to increase the pressure and friction that their solid erections are enjoying. Ian focuses on Mickey's neck, nibbling on that special spot that he knows will drive him crazy and before long, his boyfriend is calling his name and coming, almost losing his balance with the intensity. Mickey drops to his knees and hungrily takes Ian's huge cock into his mouth and down his throat having long since perfected the art of sucking Ian's dick. He knows exactly what the redhead loves and needs. Ian comes at the sight of Mickey's sexy pink lips wrapped around him and sucking his dick perfectly. 

They quickly wash each other's hair and bodies before getting out and wrapping fluffy towels around their waists. Back in the bedroom, they dry and get dressed. Mickey sees Ian looking increasingly more depressed at the thought of Mickey leaving him soon so Mickey decides to tell him the good news.

"Happy Birthday my gorgeous boyfriend, would you like your first present?" Mickey says as he kneels down between Ian's legs as he sits on the bed. Ian nods and kisses his love. "Well, your first surprise is that I'm not going to work today, I never was!" Mickey laughs as Ian's face lights up then changes into a mock angry one as he drags Mickey up and slams him onto the bed. The brunette screams as Ian starts tickling him as punishment. "Aaghh, Ian stop!!, You know I'll piss myself if you don't!!" 

"If I didn't love your sexy lying ass I wouldn't stop until you did" growls Ian as he leans down to kiss Mickey's lips.

"Mmmm babe, as much as I want to lie here kissing you all day, I have plans for you that can't wait." Mickey sits up as Ian does the same. He opens the bedside cabinet and takes out a small wrapped box, kissing it before handing it to Ian. "I want you to have your gifts now because I honestly can't wait any longer to give them to you" laughs Mickey. He watches as Ian looks down at the present in his hands and carefully begins to unwrap it, seeming to want to take his time and memorise every second. He holds the box in his hand and opens it, giving a gasp as he sees what the boy he loves has so thoughtfully given him. It's a ring, silver with engraving all around it which has been colored black by enamel. The engraving is beautifully done in calligraphy and says I & M forever, always. Ian feels the tears spill down his cheeks as he buries head in his boyfriends shoulder. "It's a promise ring Ian, just like you gave to me. I want you to know that there will never be another person alive who can make me feel the way you do. I want to be with you forever and always, there's no life for me without you in it." Mickey pulls Ian's head up to look into his emerald green eyes. Holding his tear-streaked face in his hands, he kisses away the tears and kisses him. He guides the kiss, wanting it to be romantic rather than hungry. The kiss fills their hearts with love and happiness and it's Ian who pulls away first but only to admire the ring again. Mickey takes his cue and takes the ring, slipping it onto Ian's finger and kissing it to seal it in place, just like Ian had done with his. Mickey let's out a huge sigh, " Well that was a gay fuckin moment if ever I saw one but I meant every word and every action babe" he grins at Ian cheekily with those dimples and makes Ian laugh out loud.

"Mick, you surprise me every day with the amazing things you say to me and the wonderful things you do for me. This has honestly topped everything. You've blown me away with this perfect ring that you chose for me, the perfect words you said to me and the way you kissed me was something else entirely. I didn't think I could love you anymore but a heart can obviously know no limits because I fucking love your ass so much it makes my head spin. This time when they kiss there's more passion, more want, more need. The boy's will never get enough of each other but they both plan on spending eternity proving that theory.

Pretty soon after, they hear Mandy and Iggy yelling that they're going out and upon hearing the front door slam, Mickey grabs his boyfriend's hand and drags him to the kitchen to fix breakfast. He makes Ian sit down while he does everything. Ian wants chocolate chip pancakes and strong Mickey-style coffee so that's what he's getting. As he moves around the kitchen, he glances at Ian to find Ian admiring his ring and smiling to himself before kissing it. Mickey is ecstatic that he made a good choice. He knew that Ian would love something that publicly shows the love and commitment they have for one another. 

They eat breakfast and talk about a bunch of things such as how Mandy and Lip seem to getting closer and the upcoming dance. Mickey has been pleased to realise he doesn't have 2 left feet and he can actually hold a rhythm but seeing his boyfriend dance is another thing entirely. Ian can fucking dance!! He seems to let himself go to the music and it's a beautiful thing to watch. Mickey has lost count of the amount of boners he's had whilst watching Ian's hips move and his pelvis sway and...yeah, well, he could go on about it forever. He mostly adores how free Ian looks while he's dancing, his face is just a gorgeous display of what beauty should be defined as.

They've got their tickets to the dance, they've hired the tuxedos, black for Mickey, dark grey for Ian because Mickey thinks it makes his eyes greener. They are both looking forward to it immensely which is a major turnaround for the brunette but he has somehow allowed himself to be caught up in dance fever thanks to Ian and his sister.

After breakfast and washing up the boys head back to the bedroom to chill. They lay beside one another and make out like the teenagers they are. Mickey wants to guide where their kisses lead to because he has a few surprises for his boyfriend. He gestures to Ian to sit up and proceeds to slip his shirt off before taking Ian's off too. He kisses Ian's neck then makes his way slowly downwards covering every inch of skin he can, kissing, licking, sucking, teasing, biting, wanting Ian to be a quivering wreck by the time he's done. When he reaches the waistband of Ian's sweats, Mickey uses his teeth to pull them down a bit, Ian watches with a gasp as he feels his dick swell to full hardness. The brunette then traces the outline of Ian's erection through his boxers and laughs seductively at the sound of Ian losing his shit above him. Ian is beside himself, feeling the hot breath of his hot boyfriend caress his dick could be one of his favorite things. Mickey stops to remove Ian's sweats and boxers, then deals with his own before returning his attention to covering every inch of Ian's body with his lips, teeth and tongue. He's deliberately ignoring the redheads dick and balls to increase Ian's want and loves hearing him moan and whimper in pure frustration knowing that Ian has no idea what's to come.

He slowly makes his way back up to Ian's crotch and begins licking his balls making Ian buck his hips and cry out.

"Mick...p..please, I need more, I need to feel you touch my dick, lick it, whatever....just please do something!!!" Mickey just moans as he slips one ball, then the other into his mouth to suck gently, rolling his tongue around them. "Aaagghh, fuck!!!" cries Ian, the pleasure is running through his entire body, wave after wave. He cant take much more. Mickey suddenly jumps up, crawls up the bed, leaving Ian wondering what's going on. He watches the brunette open the drawer nearest the bed and he pulls out something in his hand. He lays down next to Ian with a grin on his face and turns to look at him, raising an eyebrow. 

"This is for you I presume" handing Ian a bottle of lube. Ian's eyes widen as he takes it from Mickey. He looks to his boyfriend, grinning.

"Are we really doing this?, I mean are you sure?" He asks earnestly.

"I'm sure if you are babe" Mickey replies with a reassuring smile. "Ian, we're ready, we've been talking about it for a while now. It's a step in our relationship that we want to experience. It makes sense somehow." Ian agrees with a nod.

"Ok babe, let's do it. You gotta let me know if I hurt you, there's no way I'm hurting you and ruining this." Mickey crosses his heart with his finger as Ian gets up to position himself between his love's legs. Mickey opens his legs wider to allow Ian more room, then sits up to wrap his arms around Ian's neck, his lips find Ian's and the kiss between sparks the flame that was already burning between them, making it big and bright. "I love you so much Mick" Ian murmurs into Mickey's mouth.

"I love you too Ian, always will" with that, Mickey lowers himself back down until he's leaning on his elbows to watch Ian and spreads his legs apart. Ian takes the bottle, flips the lid and pours some lube out, coating a few fingers. Then he glances at Mickey, raising his eyebrows as he then looks down and places a fingertip into his boyfriend's crack, using the other hand to open his cheeks a little. Ian then traces the finger up and down watching Mickey's breathing increase in speed, using that reaction as a guide that he's doing the right thing. Ian then begins to concentrate more on the bundle of nerves that is Mickey's opening. He applies a little pressure while stroking it and Mick let's out a deep moan of pleasure, nodding his head as if to tell Ian that he's got it right. Ian applies slightly more pressure as he circles and strokes until his finger presses harder and slides in very slowly. "Fuck Iaaan that feels soooo good!" moans the brunette and he begins pushing himself onto Ian's long finger, giving Ian the confidence to begin moving the finger in and out and going deeper every time. He moves his finger around too knowing that he must stretch Mickey's hole in order to take his dick. He takes a second finger and slips it in to meet the first. Mickey hisses at the burn momentarily before moaning louder and moving again, back and forth. Ian starts to scissor his fingers feeling the tightness around them ease slightly. He looks up to his beautiful boyfriend who is biting his bottom lip and looking completely fuckable with desire. "Try a third finger babe" he encourages Ian with his sexy raspy voice that he knows makes Ian melt. Ian adds a bit more lube to a third finger and slowly, tentatively slips it into Mickey's hole making him cry out and gasp, then settle down into his back and forth motion again. Ian begins the scissoring of his fingers again and feeling around at the same time, hoping to find Mick's prostate. It doesn't take long. His boyfriend cries out and jacks his body off the bed as Ian's fingers finally press the right spot. Ian quickly withdraws from the area with a smile, happy that he knows where it is now. Mickey just gazes at him, still in shock at the sensations he has felt, thankful to Ian for pulling back as he doesn't want to come yet and he knows that he would have blown his load with another stroke. "Man, that was such an intense feeling, it's awesome, I can't wait to do it to you" Mickey moans as Ian continues with his fingers.

Mickey feels ready now, and as Ian looks at him, he nods, giving the go ahead. Then licks his lips in anticipation, watching Ian remove his fingers, open the lube and pour it onto his dick, his erection is beautifully shaped and Mickey has a hard time containing himself as he watches Ian stroke the lube all over it. Ian then positions himself so that the tip of his cock is pressing against Mickey's hole. He pushes himself slowly, ever so slowly inside his boyfriend and groans at the tightness surrounding the head of his dick, he wants to push all the way in so he feels it right to the base but knows he has to take it slow for Mick's sake. Mick is looking down at him, panting and moaning with increasing volume every time Ian presses further. Ian asks if it feels ok and doesn't hurt and he just nods and asks for more. Ian pushes harder until eventually he bottoms out and he finds himself wondering why they've waited so long to do this wonderful act. Not only is it the hottest thing ever but the feeling of being inside the gorgeous boy under him is almost too much to comprehend. They stay like they are for a few seconds until Mickey gets used to the stretching and sensations of fullness that he's experiencing. Then Ian slowly begins moving his hips, gyrating gently and moving in and out, he moans out loud, just as Mick is doing. They both can't contain the noises they make and hearing each other voice their pleasure just spurs them on. They're both moving together, completely as one. Ian shifts slightly so he can lower himself onto Mickey's body and kiss him. Their movements quicken and Ian can feel Mickey tighten around him as his moans get deeper and louder. Ian moves ever so slightly and is rewarded by his boyfriend coming completely undone under him. The feel of Ian's dick against his prostate proving to be as good as they'd read it was. Ian, in turn holds back no longer, the sight of Mickey falling apart and the increased tightness around his dick makes him come harder that he ever has. His cum is pumping into his boyfriend's ass and FUCK if that isn't the best feeling.

The boys are a sweaty mess but they're not complaining. Ian unwillingly pulls out of Mickey and gets on his knees, reaching over to grab some tissues. He cleans Mickey's stomach and his own before collapsing down onto the bed beside his lover. They turn to look at each other before grinning like a couple of fools. So relieved that they did what they have done and happy that they did it right. They know for sure they have because it felt so right, so fantastically good. Ian pulls Mickey in for kiss before whispering into his boyfriend's ear...

"Best fucking birhday ever!!" 

After showering, Mickey informs Ian that they're going out for lunch and to put on his best duds. They dress and then check each other out. They're wearing their best jeans and button down shirts and they decide to leave before getting the urge to fall back into the bed. Ian follows Mickey out the door staring at his ass, giving it a new found appreciation before adjusting himself.

They have lunch at a place they've never been before. It's a bit more swanky than what they're used to but as Mickey says, it's a special occasion. They try food they've never had and share it with each other, both of them agreeing that they have to do it more often. They've never really went on many dates before, always preferring to stay home and chill but they admit that going to the movies and out to lunch has been pretty cool. After their plates have been cleared, Mickey smiles at Ian as he pulls another gift out of his pocket. Ian is feeling completely spoiled and jokingly tells his boyfriend as much. Mickey just waves it off and tells him he's worth it before passing the gift to Ian. He watches as Ian unwraps it and slowly opens the box. Ian's eyes light up as he quickly looks up at the brunette. Inside are 2 necklaces, plain silver chains with half of a heart hanging from each one. One half has Ian's name, the other has Mickey's. Ian picks one out and it's only then that he notices the engraving on the back. It's simply states "The other half of me". Ian leans over to kiss his generous, loving boyfriend, thanking him for such a precious gift. He gets up, while taking one necklace, the one with "Ian" on it and walks round the table to put it on his love. He then sits back down and Mickey does the same for him, kissing him on the cheek before returning to his chair. A few couples from the surrounding tables are watching the boys with smiling faces, honored to see such love openly displayed by the two boys. Noticing their audience, the boyfriends blush and grin shyly. 

Ian's party is being held at Addie's place, which is massive, allowing more people to show up. Mandy has been in complete control of the organization since she needs to keep up her party planning reputation after Mickey's birthday went so well. Ian is in the dark and when Mickey tells him they're going to Addie's to play video games and have a few beers, Ian can't help but feel let down thinking there's no party for him. Mickey lifts his spirits with the attention and love he showers over him. They've been making out for hours since getting home and Ian suggests they just stay at home so they can have sex again. Mickey almost agrees to it, thinking back to that morning but he insists they go even if only for a short time.

Ian gets the surprise of his life when he walks into Addie's home and realises all the kids are there to celebrate his birthday. He's inundated with people coming to him to wish him a happy birthday and more just keep appearing. Addie's parents have a massive house and a pool with a huge garden. The drinks are flowing, the music is pumping and the weed is abundant. Ian decides to thoroughly enjoy his birthday but before he sets to it, he finds his boyfriend, wraps his arms around his waist as Mickey smiles and puts his hands on Ian's shoulders.

"Thank you babe, you have given me the best birthday I've ever had. The surprises, the gifts, the lunch, this party....it's been fantastic but the sex, mmmm, I'll never forget our first time. It was perfect. I love you Mickey Milkovich and I always will."

"I love you too Ian Gallagher, I love that you enjoyed your birthday but I know what you mean, the sex was unbelievably good. Can't wait til next time" he says, raising that sexy eyebrow for his boyfriend. Ian growls a low moan as he bites on Mickey's bottom lip and they kiss passionately oblivious to everyone around them. Our boys still have their bubble but the difference is that now, they don't care who sees it.


	6. Highs and Lows, Ebbs and Flows

Fiona walks in the door, kicks her shoes off and smiles at the silence. The Gallagher home is rarely so quiet.

She's been on a date, a rare opportunity to let loose and have fun. The fun part mostly never happens but she can't help still being in love with Jimmy, the man who stole her heart while she was too selfish to show him how much that meant. He's moved on now. Fiona wishes she could do the same so she tries. Tries to find a guy who can make her forget about how she felt when Jimmy and her made love. It's proving a lot more difficult than she anticipated.

The house looks tidy and she utters silent praise to Ian and Mickey who have been on babysitting duty since Lip is at math camp for the weekend. She wonders why they're already asleep then looking up at the clock in the kitchen, realises it's almost 5am, before feeling guilty about staying out so late but mostly because she feels like a whore for having sex with a guy she has no plans to see again.

She tiptoes up the stairs to bed and along the hall looking forward to crashing out for a few hours. Her eyes become drawn to movement and she stops to check. It takes a few seconds to comprehend what she's seeing before her hand flies to her mouth to bar any words from escaping.

Her sweet, little brother Ian is fucking the shit out of his boyfriend...but she can't drag her eyes away and close the door properly as much as she wants to because what she sees is too beautiful, it's more than just sex, it's love in it's purest form. The 2 boys are gazing at each other with an incredible amount of passion and adoration, far beyond their years. She feels her eyes fill up with tears and walks away to enter her room. Sitting down, she tries to make sense of it all. She should be angry, mad even. She should be yelling at them for being so stupid and going too far, too soon like she warned them about, but she feels joy instead. Those boys truly are in love, there's no doubt about it. The emotions that were on their faces, plain as day, they can't be faked.

For a long time, Fiona was wary of Mickey, worried that Ian was too delicate and sweet to be friends with a troublemaking thug like the Milkovich kid. She'd jumped to conclusions about him considering who his father was and she'd been at school with one of the older brothers, Colin. He had already been so sucked into his Dad's life of crime by the age of 14 that nothing could have saved him. So it wasn't hard to assume that Mickey would follow suit. It wasn't until they had visited and came out to her and the kids that she saw past Mickey's hard shell. He looked at Ian as if the sun shone out of his boyfriend's ass. It had almost floored her to see that. 

She knows now, in that moment, that Ian and Mickey were made for each other. No-one could witness what she just had and think any differently. She can only hope she gets to experience the kind of love they share together as the tears stream down her face.

High School Dance!!

Ian and Mickey are standing in front of the bathroom mirror grinning at one another like goofballs. They're both thinking the same thing, how fucking hot does my boyfriend look?!. Ian proudly put his arm around Mickey's shoulder, "You know, if it weren't for the fact that we're going to the dance, I'd be inside you already. You look sexy as fuck Mick!"

Mickey raises he eyebrows, "Have you seen yourself Gallagher??, I'm gonna have to tape my dick to my thigh if I'm to get through the night without showing my boner to everyone" he's laughing but he's also being deadly serious.

The boys have one final preen in the mirror then make their way out of the bedroom. Mandy and Lip are waiting for them. Both Ian and Mickey have to stop to take in the sight of Mandy. She's stunningly beautiful in a red satin dress that's clinging to her curves in a sophisticated way. The dress falls to mid calf and as she turns, shows that it's backless except for a thin, delicate strap of diamante's half way down. Her hair and make up are exquisitely done. The hair in a loose chignon with tendrils framing each side of her face. Lip is standing beside her, in his navy blue tux looking like the cat that got the cream, rightly so.

"You scrub up good sis", Mickey announces, which is about as good a compliment as Mandy could ask him for. Ian on the other hand is more vocal.

Mandy, you look fuckin fantastic. You're so beautiful! You always are but WOW! I'm blown away."

"Okay, okay, can we hit the road before she can't get her head through the door??" Mickey yells but he sneakily winks at his sister to let her know he's just messing with her.

Mandy gets her chance to tell the boys how handsome they look as she fusses over them.

Iggy runs out of his room with his phone in his hand. "I want pics!!" Resulting in Mickey and Lip rolling their eyes while Ian and Mandy hug with excitement. The pics get taken then corsages are exchanged which is all a little too much for Mickey but Ian takes him aside and tells him the romantic shit is pretty much over now. 

They've gone all out and hired a limo and while they travel in style towards the school, sharing a flask of JD, they're all thinking that 4 kids from the Southside have done a good job of cleaning themselves up and looking great.

Walking down the hall heading to where the dance is taking place is surreal. Many of the kids they see every day at school are staring, especially at Mickey and Mandy. Mickey gets twitchy while Mandy can't hide her delight. Ian grips Mickey's hand tighter for support, leaning into him "I told you, you look hot, deal with it!" They queue up to get their photos taken, which Mickey has no problem in reminding Ian that he was never told about. As they stand to get the pic taken though, Mickey smiles at Ian in such a cute way, that Ian is certain the photo will be amazing.

Walking through the doors into the dance, Ian can't help but give Mandy a congratulatory hug for all her hard work on the decor. The theme is "Try a Little Tenderness", which was Mandy's idea after hearing the song on the radio so the decor is mostly flowers, low lights and soft fabrics. It has come together to make a highly romantic and sexy setting.

The boys hold hands, making their way to a table near the back while Mandy drags Lip over to some friends standing by the dancefloor. "Ok, this ain't so bad" Mickey states, looking around. He's not going out of his way to socialize with anyone he knows tonight. This is Ian's and his night and wants it to be special. He's just looking for the punch since he's carrying 2 bottles of booze in the inside pockets of his tux and wants to be rid of them. Suggesting they go get something to drink, him and Ian walk over and wait until a couple of goody two shoes kids disappear. Mandy's already covered who's manning the punch bowls so Ian and Mickey take one final look around before each grabbing a bottle and dumping the contents into the 2 bowls. Paul, the punch bowl guy grins as he ladles out the punch giving cups to the boys. "Thanks guys" he says. "That'll go nicely with the vodka already in there" making Ian and Mickey burst out laughing. "Here's to a great night then" he holds his cup up to the boys before downing the drink.

While they sit back down, Ian knows Mickey will need a few more drinks before he feels remotely ready to dance but he's happy to wait. The atmosphere, music and Mickey's hand on his thigh, finger drawing circles, sending shockwaves to his dick is more than enough for now. 

An hour later and Mickey's feet are tapping and sometimes Ian catches him singing along to the music. The DJ is playing tons of current music and his choices are great. A real favorite of the boys starts playing and Ian's jaw drops when it's Mickey who stands up and gestures to him that they should dance. Seconds later they're on the dancefloor giving it their all. Mandy runs up to dance along with them yelling "What the actual fuck Mickey??!! You can dance?" Mickey shrugs saying "Eh, nothin to it!" before winking at Ian. 

The pair dance to the next two songs then the DJ announces the first slow dance of the night which turns out to be Amazed by Lonestar. Mickey turns to walk off but Ian grabs his hand and reels him in until their bodies are together. Ian wraps his arms around Mickey's waist and kisses his boyfriend on the lips chastely. Mickey looks like a deer caught in the headlights but as Ian sways, he does the same so their bodies stay attached. His arms snake around Ian's shoulders as he looks into those green eyes. He stops noticing anything else, it's just him and the beautiful boy in front of him. He's mesmerized by Ian, who's looking at him as if he hung the moon. "I love you so much Ian" he mouths before his lips touch Ian's and they both groan. "I love you too Mick but we might have to take it down a notch before we get stains on these pants," referring to their erections pressing together as they dance. 

The song ends and Mickey grabs Ian's hand and guides him out the door quickly. They walk the opposite way everyone else is heading and go upstairs to find an empty classroom. Mickey shoves Ian against the wall and kisses him, Ian responds by shoving his tongue into the brunettes mouth and launching an all out attack while undoing Mickey's pants, shoving his hand into his boxers and wrapping his hand around Mickey's rock solid cock. Ian wishes at that moment he'd brought the lube. He wants to fuck his boyfriend so much but he'll suck him off good instead to make up for it. 

He's on his knees before Mickey, looking up at him as his tongue circles the slit, the precum glistening as he collects it on the tip of his tongue. Mickey is watching, groaning as Ian stands up, looking into blue eyes as he licks his lips, spreading the precum all over them. Mickey almost loses it when Ian's mouth crashes onto his and shares the taste with him. It's sweeter than actual cum and tastes divine. Ian kneels back down to resume, holding Mickey's cock and sucking the head as his tongue traces the thick ridge underneath. Ian's moaning causing vibrations to run up and down the length of him while he takes it all down his throat before pulling back, sucking with hunger. His eyes meet Mickey's as he then slips one of his own fingers into his mouth to coat it thickly with saliva before removing it and taking his boyfriend's dick back into his mouth to repeat the process. His saliva coated finger meanwhile, is prodding at Mickey's hole, slowly working it's way inside and exploring. The brunette can't talk anymore, all he can produce is a garbled mess of single syllables as he tries to focus on the doubled pleasure he's getting. He opens his eyes to look down at Ian at exactly the point that Ian begins to suck harder, move faster and stroke his prostate. Mickey wails as he starts to come, holding onto Ian for support as his orgasm threatens to take the power to stand from him. His body is alight with sensation as he can't control the bucking, jerky movements he's making. Ian drains him of every last drop before stopping and getting to his feet, holding Mickey tightly so he can't collapse.

"Holy shit Ian, the fuck was that?? So good, so intense!!" Mickey's hand is already stroking the bulge in Ian's pants, he pushes Ian down onto a row of desks and opens his pants and boxers to pull Ian's dick out through the openings...with no hesitation he plunges his mouth down onto Ian's massive hard-on and works it the way only he knows how, using his hand to twist gently, his tongue to lick and circle and his lips to kiss while he sucks the length of Ian into his mouth and down further, moaning so Ian can feel it deep within himself. Ian lays there, looking down, admiring his sexy, hot boyfriend do what he's so fucking good at...knowing he's not going to last as he feels him upping the pace and sucking harder, the noises Mickey makes when he sucks his dick are some of the sweetest sounds he's ever heard and pushes him towards the edge... Ian yells as the first throes of coming contracts his muscles, making him jerk tightly as he starts to come into the brunette's mouth, his dick is pumping streams of cum that he's swallowing expertly. Ian is a mess as he recovers, gasping and moaning as Mickey tucks him away and zips up his pants before fixing himself.

"I'll never get enough of that cock of yours Gallagher, let's go dance" He pulls Ian up and takes his hand before they go join the dance and drink some more.

By the time that dance has ended, the boys are drunk, a merry, happy kind of drunk. They've danced till their feet are sore, they've slow danced some more, they've shared kisses, tender moments and words of love. Mandy has had the time of her life with Lip, Lip has been happy to have her on his arm the whole night making many guys jealous. They laugh and chatter on the way home, talking about who kissed who and who got caught making out in the bathrooms.

The boys fall into bed, happy to just hold each other and kiss and tell one another how great a night they had. Mickey even put it out there that he'd do it again which made Ian give him the wide assed dopey grin his boyfriend loves so much.

3 months later.

Ian and Mickey are meant to be heading out tonight, going to Addie's for a gamer night but Ian is sick. Not seriously ill but he's thrown up a few times and feels like shit. He just wants to sleep it away so he manages to convince Mickey to go have fun while he stays home with a promise that he'd probably feel better by the time Mickey gets back. Mickey really would prefer to stay and look after his boyfriend but Ian insists he goes and enjoys himself explaining that Mandy is home and she'll make sure he's ok.

Mickey still feels bad about leaving but heads out the door and shuffles off to Addie's place. Meanwhile, Ian is already asleep.

Ian's awoken by the sound of gunshots and sits up, shaking his head of sleep. Sighing when he realizes that it's just the TV. Mandy must be watching something and obviously has developed a hearing problem since Ian went to sleep. He picks up his phone to check the time and sees that it has just gone 1am. He sends Mickey quick text..

\--Hey Babe, just woke up, feel better. Miss u xx--

He gets up to take a piss then goes to say hi to Mandy. She can see he's feeling better so asks if he's hungry. Ian thinks he can try some toast so Mandy goes to make some. Ian heads back to the bedroom to shove on some sweats and grab his phone before going back to sit on the couch to wait for Mandy.

An hour later and Ian's anxiously tapping his feet. Mickey hasn't sent a reply to his text yet which is weird. He tries calling him but it goes straight to voicemail. Great, no battery or switched off.

Mandy has already gone to bed and it's 4.25am before the door opens and Mickey staggers in. Ian just stares in shock at his boyfriend before asking him what's happened to him. Mickey has the beginnings of a black eye, a busted lip and a nasty looking scrape on his right cheek. He's also either very drunk, stoned or both. That's when Mickey raises his hand to his face and Ian notices his fingers. That's also the time Ian loses his cool.

Mickey is now the bearer of some tattoos, 8 of them to be precise. All eight fingers have a letter just below the knuckle. If you hold his hands together, they spell FUCK U - UP. They've obviously been done by someone who kinda knows what they're doing but, still...

Mickey is nervously laughing as he collapses on the sofa. "Ian, I'm sorry I'm late man, it's been a wild and crazy night"

"Yeah, I can see that Mick. I've been kinda worried about you since I couldn't contact you. I can see now that I was right to be worried" Ian finds it hard to keep the venom from his voice.

Mickey pulls his phone out and shows Ian that it's off, "Oops" he giggles.

Ian decides he can't have a conversation with his boyfriend while he's in this state so drags him off to bed, undresses him and lies next to him to sleep. He'll deal with him in the morning.

The next morning finds a bad atmosphere in the Milkovich house. Mickey is still sleeping off his wild night but Ian and Mandy have been waiting for him to get up so they can quiz him about last night. Ian is mad, the kind of mad that Mandy has never witnessed before. Seeing him like that, makes her want to run into the bedroom and jump on Mickey's head. So the 2 of them sit there, ready to conduct the inquisition, jacked up on coffee and raring to go.

Mickey finally shows his face at almost 1pm. Bad news for him because his sister has had all morning to simmer up to boiling point. Ian would rather be dealing with this his way, talking through things, asking questions but Mandy has already removed that possibility. She has Mickey cornered screaming at him, telling him he's stupid and selfish, basically doing what Milkoviches do. Ian watches, knowing it won't be long before Mickey storms out. He'll do that to avoid hitting his sister, no matter how many times she hits him, he won't touch a hair on her head.

Ian can do nothing but get himself ready to follow Mickey out of the door when he escapes Mandy's wrath. It takes another 3 minutes and Mickey is on his way, face blazing with anger and Ian hot on his heels.

"Go back Ian, I'm too mad at Mandy right now and I don't want to argue with you too"

"I'm not arguing Mick, I just want to talk. I just want to find out why you got hurt last night, why you got those tattoos."

Mickey stops and sits down on the grassy bank, looking down, as if he can't face Ian. This scares Ian, usually when people avoid eye contact it means they're trying to hide something.

"Mick, come on, you're scaring me!' Ian sits down beside his boyfriend. "If you have something to say, say it. I can handle anything except you breaking up with me or cheating on me. Everything else is manageable"

Mickey finally looks up at Ian, "you honestly think I'd cheat on you or want to break up with you??... you're my life Ian, do you think I gave you that ring and necklace you're wearing without meaning what they say?"

"No Mick, no...I don't think that you would do those things, I'm saying that's the only 2 things I fear...I'm trying to say, you can tell me anything, just don't leave me guessing and let my imagination run wild" Ian's eyes search Mickey's for some understanding

Mickey takes a deep breath and blows it out then turns to Ian, "Last night was ok, I was missing you, so much, I almost left to come home a few times....so I stupidly drank too much to numb the fact that you weren't there. Some guys showed up at Addie's who had a beef with him about something, so I got involved in that, ended up kicking the crap outta most of them. Then Addie's cousin shows up with his tattoo gun and shit, next thing you know, a few of us are getting inked up." Mickey shakes his head as if he's disgusted with himself. "Ian, don't think for a second I'm blaming you but I know none of that would have happened if you'd been there. I wish you had, really I fucking do. You're the one that grounds me, makes me a better person. Without you, I slip too easily into being a true Milkovich and do the shit that people have always expected of me, always will probably."

"Mickey fucking Milkovich, don't you fuckin dare tarnish yourself with the same brush that tarnished your Dad and your brothers. So you fight sometimes, so do I...you are nothing like them, you're not going out at night dealing drugs or robbing places or whatever else they do. You ARE a good person, you just need to believe it for yourself. It's not me that makes you that way, it's inside you. I see it everyday. When I'm not with you, you have to remind yourself that it's not me or my presence that makes you behave a certain way, you have it within you to make choices about what you do. Think about me when you're making those choices if you like. I do the same thing, I always consider you in my decisions Mick." Ian stops, hoping he hasn't sounded too harsh.

"Ian, I'm mad at myself, I'm embarrassed too. I hate that I drank too much, hate that I was fighting, hate it even more that I enjoyed it. Weirdly, I don't hate these!" He says laughing as he looks down at the letters on his fingers. "I guess I'm stuck with them now so it's a good job I like em" 

"I am sorry for messing up Ian, I messed up a lot when I could have been home with you. I'm sorry, so sorry for not checking my phone was on and being too drunk to even realize I should have. I've let you down. It scares me. I woke up this morning and you weren't there, I honestly thought you'd left me because I'd let you down" Mickey is on the verge of breaking down and Ian can't let him suffer anymore. He's beating himself up enough.

"Mick, listen to me. I admit, I was pissed last night. I didn't expect you to come home looking like you did. I worried because I couldn't contact you. You were in no state to talk to me when I tried. All I wanted to do was talk this morning and find out what went on. I was never going to stand in judgement over you about drinking or fighting or even getting tattooed!!, I'd be a hypocrite since I drink and fight and I certainly enjoyed kicking Edturds ass. I'll respect your choices 99% of the time but I will tell you if I think you're making a mistake. I expect the same from you. We are a couple, a team, we look after each other and we can't be afraid to tell one another that they're wrong. Don't ever think that these kinda things could possibly change how I feel about you. It'd have to be something pretty monumental to even put a dent in our relationship. I know you're sorry and I accept it. You have no need to be embarrassed, I promise you." Ian finally raises his hand to Mickey's face. "I love you so much, you're the other half of me" Ian smiles.

Mickey is looking at his boyfriend and wondering where in heaven he came from. The sweet, forgiving boy who always knows exactly what to say can't be his, he could never be so lucky...but for some reason, that boy loves him, like really loves him and Mickey might always have a slight problem thinking that he's unworthy of such love but he's going to accept it with open arms for as long as he lives.

"Ian, you're it for me, my one, my lover, my soulmate. You make me feel so alive and that I have the ability to do whatever I put my mind to. I'll never let you down again. I love you too, my other half!"

While the boys kiss and embrace, they don't see the people walking by, the cars driving past. They just see each other and enjoy the sweet kisses and hugs they share. They love their bubble.


	7. Looking Back and Looking forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Mickey have graduated, applied to colleges and are enjoying the Summer. As well as looking forward to what's in store for them, we look back on the past 2 years.

Looking back...

The past few years have seen Ian and Mickey grow both physically and mentally. Ian is now taller than his boyfriend by a good 4 inches, neither of them mind. In fact, Mickey loves having to reach up to kiss Ian and he adores being enveloped by his lanky redhead. Ian wears his hair a lot shorter which makes him look so hot that he attracts attention from men and women alike. Add to that, he's developed a perfect body with muscles in all the right places due to his sporty nature. His face has matured, giving him a strong jawline and chin. Ask anyone who's known Ian for years and they'd all say he's grown into a very handsome young man. Mickey just thinks he's the sexiest, most beautiful thing he's ever laid eyes on and he has to pinch himself regularly to make sure he's not dreaming.

Mickey hasn't changed quite so much. He stands at 5'7" which is the same height he was at 16. His face hasn't really changed either apart from being able to grow a decent beard if he wants to. His body has less definition than Ian's but he's solid with muscle and Ian adores it. Mickey has always been very good looking but he's definitely improving with age. He smiles a lot more, barely scowls at strangers like he used to. He can turn as many heads as Ian can and when they're together, people around them can't help but stare at two such beautiful men, so openly in love.

Mickey still finds the attention he gets quite disarming. He hates being flirted with, unless it's Ian of course. He is very quick to tell any man or woman that he's not interested and that he's taken.

Ian appears to thrive on the adoration he receives. Not that he would ever encourage it but he likes being complimented. Mickey used to detest the way Ian reacted to flirtatious comments from other people. It caused a few words to be exchanged between the two on more than one occasion. He can accept now, that Ian's personality is the source, he's so outgoing and sociable which leads to the unwanted attractions of others. Mickey can't fault that and he trusts Ian too much to ever doubt his commitment.

During the last two years of high school, both the boys knuckled down and worked hard. They worked towards their dream with fervor. Ian got involved with the committee at school while both of them joined the baseball team. Ian did great and become one of the star players, Mickey was kicked off the team after 3 months due to beating 7 shades of shit out of an opponent on 3rd base for calling Ian a fairy. The boys still had fun and partied, allowing themselves downtime now and again but they both had jobs and helped each other study and do homework. They knew ultimately, that they both would require scholarships for college. Discussing college was a regular thing. They already knew they would apply to colleges in New York and Boston, namely NYU, Columbia and BU. They eventually figured out what subjects they'd take. Ian hoping for a degree in Social Sciences, Mickey in Architecture.

Their relationships with family were going well. The Gallagher's was always a place Mickey felt comfortable in but now it felt like a second home. He had great rapport with them all and seemed to be a role model for Carl who shadowed Mickey everytime he was there. Frank rarely made an appearance which Mickey was thankful for as he still remembered and held a strong grudge for him beating on Ian. On the few occasions that Ian had crossed paths with Frank, he had ignored him, treating him like a stranger. 

At the Milkovich house was where Ian felt at home. Mandy and him, still as close and supportive to each other. Iggy being a constant source of fun, most of it at his own expense!. Even Tony and Colin and their girlfriends had taken to coming around more often for dinner and visits. Mickey enjoyed having the whole family together. They often talked about the past, the good things that had happened, with Tony and Colin in particular sharing stories that the younger three had never known. They listened intently when told about how good their Mom was and the nice things she'd do for her children, soaking all the stories up like sponges. Ian always cherished those moments, watching Mickey smile and laugh as he learned more about his Mom.

Ian still worked at the mini-mart but he'd been given a lot more responsibility now and was paid more. Mickey because of his ever-growing love for drawing and art had been lucky to get a job in Addie's cousins new tattoo studio. He'd draw up designs for their portfolios and was stoked when they proved popular among clients. He liked the idea of becoming a tattoo artist if architecture didn't work out.

The relationship between Ian and Mickey was as solid as it had ever been. The love they had kept growing. The trust they shared was unbreakable. The passion between them never dwindled. They were still as insatiably attracted to one another as ever. Their sex life had developed immensely, discovering positions they loved, being more adventurous but they were always careful to leave more to try later. They loved waiting until there was a special occasion, like a birthday, until they did something new. As well as keeping things fresh, the anticipation of waiting always had them excitedly counting down the days.

They surprised each other often with small, thoughtful gifts such as a keyring with their initials on it or a new mug with a photo of the two of them imprinted on to it. Their love notes to one another were sweet and sexy and they always kept them secretly tucked away with the rest of their mementos. Most of the time though, they saved their money religiously so to give themselves a decent start at college until they were able to find jobs.

Looking forward....

Ian is 17, Mickey 18. They've just graduated and are enjoying a few Summer days of doing nothing. They're trying not to think too much about the colleges they've applied to but they're both scared about not being accepted or worse, getting accepted to different colleges. They've only ever dreamed of attending the same one, sharing a dorm and being with each other as much as possible like they are now. The fear of that not happening is a dark cloud hanging over them. They know they couldn't possibly have done more to get the result they want. Mr Taylor, the Head of their High School and their employers have written letters of recommendation regarding their schoolwork, grades, attendance, work ethic and maturity. Mr Taylor even added a extra paragraph about their relationship, how he knew the boys wanted to be roomed together and how long they had been committed boyfriends in a mature and stable relationship.

All they can do is wait for big envelopes to drop through the door. They take their minds off it with work and distractions of a more sexual nature. They talk to Mandy and Iggy about the plans they've made. Mandy graduated but didn't score well enough for college which was never her plan anyway. She's hoping to junior at a salon or beauty place and possibly attend community college to become a trained hairdresser or beauty therapist. If that fails, she'll take a job at a diner or whatever. She wants to stay in Chicago because that's where Lip is. He's at college already. His high I.Q. and mathematical prowess earned him a spot at M.I.T. but he chose to stay in Chicago to be closer to family and Mandy.

Iggy is looking forward to his girlfriend moving in with him. He's trying to stay on the straight and narrow and work for a living but sometimes the promise of easy money for a nights worth of dealing coke is too tempting. Mickey always tells him he's a lucky fucker not to have been caught so far and not to push that luck. Iggy doesn't say it much but he's proud of his little brother for what he's achieved so far and what he knows he'll achieve in the future. He knows Ian will look out for him when they're at college and that makes him happy.

Fiona is as proud as punch that Lip and now Ian and Mickey will be going to college. She never had the chance to graduate so it just makes her extra happy that they did. It gives her a sense of achievement that even a small part of their success is due to the way she raised them. It's also inspired her to go and get her GED which might open doors for her occupationally. Most of the kids are getting more independent and are in school so she'd like to try and get a better job rather than waitressing or working at the laundry.

It's on a Thursday that the first envelopes come through the mailbox. Ian is already at work having started at 6am. Mickey just stares at the envelopes knowing there's no way he's opening his without Ian there with him. He bites his fingernail while he sends his boyfriend a text...

\--Babe, 2 very similar envelopes arrived, 1 for you, 1 for me. Will wait til u get back 😱 xx xx--

\--Shit!! Babe, I'll b home @ 12, keep fingers crossed 4 us xx xx--

\--K, I'm shitting myself! c u soon, love u --

\-- LOL!! love u 2 --

Ian bursts through the door at 11.30, his boss couldn't stand Ian pacing up and down the store any longer and took pity on him, letting him go early. He sees Mickey sitting at the table where the envelopes are sat, he's staring at them like they might contain Anthrax. He looks up at Ian and smiles, happy to see him.

"Ok, sit down, we're doing this on the count of 3." he states, taking deep breaths. Ian walks over and bends to kiss him before sitting down in the opposite chair.

"Babe, don't worry if this isn't the news we want....we still have 2 chances" Ian is trying to support himself as much as Mickey with that statement.

"Right, let's do it....1,...2,....3!! 

They both open their letters as fast as possible before quickly scanning the front page. Both of them look up to the other for a sign of what they've just discovered but they are trying hard not to give anything away in case it's a disappointing result.

Ian talks first, " Mine is from NYU, I've been accepted, full scholarship," Ian's eyes are trained on Mickey. Mickey glances down sadly and Ian wants to rewind the past few seconds and pretend they never happened. He's about to console his boyfriend but Mickey's head rises and he has the biggest grin on his face. 

"Mine is from NYU too, I'm in with a full scholarship!!!" he yells. They burst up out of their seats and jump around, holding each other, cheering and screaming. They can't contain their happiness as they celebrate while the dark cloud above them floats off to ruin someone else's day.

"Babe, I don't give a rats ass about any other envelope that drops in the mail...we just both got accepted into our first choice college and we're going to be together!!" Mickey is beside himself as he grabs his boyfriend's face and reaches up to kiss him, the kiss quickly turning very erotic rather than romantic.

Ian's pulls away for a second to giggle and says "You do know this means that we get to try our new toys, right?" His eyebrows rise up then back down a few times as he smirks. Mickey growls at him and drags him into their bedroom, locking the door behind them.

They both undress quickly and Ian grabs their new toys out of the drawer. They ordered these off the internet before graduation and had decided to wait till they'd gotten good news about college before trying them out. Mickey grabs a box to open as Ian does the same. They both now hold in their hands a vibrator. Exactly the same type but one is blue and the other is green. They are around 8 inches long, regular thickness and covered with tiny, soft nodules. Ian grabs the lube from the drawer and the pack of batteries they'd bought in advance and they take a minute to insert the batteries and play around with the vibrators, learning the functions of the buttons which control the speed of vibration and pulse patterns. 

They then excitedly throw all the packaging off the bed onto the floor and lay down next to each other to begin kissing and stroking. They're both already sporting healthy erections as Ian gets up to turn himself around to face the brunette's feet and straddle him while he grabs the blue vibrator and begins to lube it and his fingers, passing the lube to Mickey once he's done. While Mickey attends to his fingers and the green vibrator, Ian lowers his body, kneeling till he can feel his cock touching his boyfriend's face. Ian gets hold of Mickey's throbbing dick and begins sucking on the head gently, hearing his love moan behind him. Ian echoes the moan with one of his own as his cock is swallowed up by his sexy boyfriend.

They both begin sliding their fingers into each other's holes, poking and prodding and scissoring as they go deeper and deeper eliciting moans and gasps from one another while still sucking on each other's dicks. Having stretched enough, they take the vibrators and slowly slide them in, both of them gasping at the sensations of the nodules as well as being filled up and sucked off at the same time. It's a lot to comprehend as they moan and writhe with the feelings. 

Ian presses a button on his vibrator so it's buzzing gently inside his boyfriend and Mick let's out what can only be described as part moan, part squeal as the vibrations inside his ass add to everything else he's experiencing. He quickly does the same to Ian and hears him mutter "FUUUCK!" before a guttural moan escapes his throat driving Mickey almost to the edge. They both know they're not going to last much longer as they fuck and suck each other hard and fast. Ian increases the vibration again and again on the blue toy and his boyfriends body snaps up, slamming against his before coming down his throat yelling and moaning until his body stops shaking. Ian immediately feels Mickey's mouth encase his dick again at the same time as the vibrations escalate in his ass. Ian feels completely helpless to stop the orgasm that grips him like a vice, he just knows that he's about to come massively down Mick's throat and that it'll feel so good. He loses control of his speech as well as his body when he comes, wailing with pleasure as Mickey's mouth fills with his cum and he swallows it down while Ian shudders above him.

They both lie in a daze holding hands for a few minutes, getting their breath back. Neither of them quite believing how good that was.

"That was sooo fucking amazing Ian, can we do that again tonight??" he asks, laughing.

"You can bet your fucking life on it Mick" answers Ian as he pulls his boyfriend into him and kisses him. They both feel they've deserved a nap before spreading the good news about college so they spoon together and fall asleep smiling.


	8. New York, New York, So Good They Named It Twice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The college years are about to begin and Ian and Mickey are feeling the pressure.

Leaving On A Jet Plane....

On the concourse of O'Hare Airport stands a crowd of people, most of them bawling their eyes out. Ian and Mickey are in the center of it all failing to calm everyone down.

"Jesus, it's not like we're never coming back!" says Mickey, glancing at Ian he adds, " you'd think they're never going to see us again"

His boyfriend just shrugs as he pats Fiona's back as she holds him tight, grimacing at the thought of her leaving snot on his jacket. Both families have made a huge effort to be there to see them off. The pride on Tony and Colin's faces is especially noticeable. Mandy and Iggy are both a little tearful. Mandy is trying to stop herself from losing it completely for the sake of not upsetting her closest brother, she knows he hates to see her cry.

The Gallagher clan are all unashamedly sobbing. They all know how much Ian's departure will change the dynamics of the family. He will be dearly missed by them all. Frank is missing from the poignant moments, as requested by Ian. Fiona did try to talk him round but Ian stood firm saying that Frank would somehow make it all about him, spouting a speech about how he did right by his kids, bringing them up well. Ian or Mickey would have punched him. Ian doesn't want to ruin the final moments with their families with Frank being Frank.

There's time for final hugs and kisses and pats on the back plus some photos before the guys grab their backpacks to head through security. They walk backwards, waving to everyone before turning to disappear around the corner. Lip consoles Mandy as she let's loose finally. Wrapping her up in his arms to comfort his girlfriend who he knows he's fallen in love with. He's yet to tell her that but feels it'll happen very soon. 

Ian and Mickey are sitting in a cafe in the departure lounge. A mixture of feelings running through them both. Ian is excited, looking forward to their future but with a pinch of sadness about leaving the only place he's ever known. Mickey isn't thinking that far ahead, he's terrified of the flight they'll be boarding soon. He's heard of planes dropping out of the sky, of terrorism and hijacks. Neither of them have flown before but he's looking to Ian for support since he's not phased by flying at all. If he were to think about college and rooming with Ian and all the new shit they're going to experience, he's not in the least bit nervous. He knows that his boyfriend and him can do anything as long as they've got each other. 

They had already accomplished so much, what with graduating and getting into college. Years ago, when Ian first told him about the dream, Mickey immediately thought that Ian would definitely realise that dream. Himself, never in a million years. He had resigned himself to becoming a drop out criminal just like a Milkovich was expected to be. He knows Ian was his savior in so many ways. Rebuilding him brick by brick into a confident, hard working boy who isn't afraid to be who he is and is able to show and receive the love that he'd struggled to do since his Mom died. Looking at his beautiful boyfriend sitting across from him, he has so much to be grateful for.

"Babe, you know this is all you, right?. I wouldn't be here if you and I hadn't met. You helped me to be who I am now and I love you so much for that!."

Ian stares into those blue eyes he loves so much and shakes his head, "We helped each other Mick, I never thought of our dream until we we're best friends. I didn't once think of myself heading to college, I thought of US going there. I told you before, every decision I've made, I've included you in it. I'm grateful to you for being strong and determined enough to follow our dream right by my side. The strength I have is the strength I get from you babe and I love you for being with me through it all."

Their hands find each other's and hold tight. The love and support for one another flows through their finger tips, right to the other's heart. They're interrupted by a tinny sounding voice over a tannoy system announcing their flight will be boarding in 1 minute. Mickey takes a deep breath, "Gallagher, you might have to help me to stand, my legs have turned to Jell-O." Ian laughs out loud as he grabs his backpack and Mickey's arm, pulling him up, quickly kissing those soft, pink lips.

"Come on tough guy, let's get you on the plane, it's only a 2 hour flight, we'll be fine!" The brunette mumbles something incoherent before shuffling alongside Ian towards the desk.

On the plane, Mickey already has his seatbelt on and has read the emergency leaflet 3 times, pointing out to Ian where the emergency exits are. Ian watches his adorable boyfriend as he busies himself looking around, familiarizing himself with the switches and buttons above him. He loves seeing this side of Mick. It's a side only he gets to see and that reason alone is enough to make it extra special. He knows he's going to have to help him to relax during take off, hold his hand, whisper in his ear to distract him but that will only make their first flight more memorable in his opinion.

The plane has taxied to the start of the runway and the noise begins as the engines start working harder. Mickey looks at Ian, gripping his hand tighter as the plane moves and picks up speed. Mickey looks so nervous at this point that Ian just grabs his face and locks his lips onto Mickey's, forcing his tongue into his mouth and twirling it around the brunettes. Mickey grabs the back of Ian's head and forces their lips together harder, his tongue battling with Ian's for the upper hand. The kiss lasts so long that by the time they pull apart, they're up in the air and above the clouds. Mickey looks out the window with surprise. Ian feels a nudge and turns to the woman sat next to him, "That might just be the best cure for a nervous flyer I've ever seen!! Way to go!" she exclaims giving him a high five. Ian blushes and says thanks before turning to Mickey and raising his eyebrows grinning.

The flight turns out to be non-eventful and with only a few small occurrences of turbulence. Mickey now seems to be enjoying himself. That is until they begin the descent. The changes in cabin pressure hurts his ears so much that a flight attendant gives him a candy to suck on. The landing requires another kiss bringing them safely to the ground.

They soon find themselves waiting for their baggage at a carousel. They have a few suitcases and bags, mostly filled with new clothing that they had bought with money they'd received from family who'd had a whip round. The only other things they cared about taking were toiletries, photos, all the mementos they'd collected during their relationship and of course their ever growing toy collection. As long as they had some things to remind them of home, they were happy.

A cab got them to the building where their dorm was situated and as they waited at the reception to announce their arrival, get keys and whatever else had to be done, they looked around at what would be their home for the next year. These dorms were specifically for first year students so they guessed that the majority of people milling around were just like them. It was compulsory for first years to dorm, apparently it encouraged students to meet new people and also made them less likely to quit. Ian and Mickey didn't mind having to dorm but knew they'd want their own place next year if possible.

Keys in hand, they unlocked the door to their room. It looked like every dorm you'd ever seen in movies minus the personal touches obviously. Ian knew they'd quickly make it theirs and settle in easily. They quickly got going, unpacking and exploring, flopping onto a bed when done. It was around 3pm and they were pretty hungry having had nothing since breakfast so although they felt a little tired, they decided to go and have a look around the area surrounding their building grabbing food on the way. They already knew they'd gotten lucky with the buildings that the majority of their classes were to be found, being situated not even 3 minutes walk away but the need to explore was strong. They had already called home to tell Fiona and Mandy that they'd arrived safe and sound and promised to send pics of their room.

Classes didn't start for a few days but they knew they had to register, visit the finance department, shop for supplies and hopefully find jobs. The plan was to do the majority of that tomorrow knowing that it'd be a busy time at the college and no doubt time consuming for them. 

New York was different. The vibe of the city was undeniable making it feel very different to what they were used to back home. It was exciting and the guys wandered the streets, happily pointing out interesting things to each other while holding hands. One thing they quickly notice is that the attention they get hasn't changed. For some reason, Mickey thought he'd be more invisible in New York, Ian would always attract attention wherever he went but Mickey didn't think he would. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to being looked at as if he was as beautiful as his boyfriend is. Ian is forever telling him he's gorgeous and hot but then Ian has to think that right?.

They find a burger joint and decide to sit down to eat. They're by now pretty ravenous so have no problems devouring massive burgers, fries and milkshakes. They chatter incessantly about the new things they've seen and have yet to see. They make plans about going to see famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building when they have spare time. There's no real hurry since this is their home for the next few years at least!. Walking over to pay, Ian hands over money while asking if there are any jobs going, something he's planning to do wherever the visit. He's printed out plenty of resumes for them both so hands over one for each of them while thanking the young waitress. She smiles, looking at them both as if she can't decide which one of them is hotter. The guys just grab each other's hand and walk out leaving her cursing her luck.

Back at their dorm, they find where the showers are and although disappointed that the days of showering together look to be over for a while due to lack of privacy, they both enjoy the pressure of the water relaxing them after a busy day.

They have single beds and although that's not a huge problem since they're used to sharing one at Ian's sometimes, they wonder what the policy is about putting the 2 beds together. For now, they climb into one of them and slowly begin to make love, it's exactly what they want to do on their first night in New York. 

They kiss languidly, caressing one another's skin with finger tips and lips, drawing breathy sighs and moans. Words of love and adoration fill the room as they join together, blue eyes gazing into green. Slow, intent movements bring gasps of enjoyment and as emotions and sensations heighten, they moan, biting and sucking on each other's lips, necks and shoulders. They come with one another's names escaping from their lips repeatedly before snuggling together closely and falling asleep. 

The love they share is so strong, it has bound them as one so they can make this new journey together without fear or trepidation. They will never feel alone, never know the pain of being lonely. They need each other in a way that some of us may never be lucky enough to experience. Ian and Mickey are truly made for each other, they stopped being individuals a long time ago. They are a couple now, bonded by the strongest emotion known to man, true love.


	9. He Has A Halo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling into college life makes the guys appreciate each other even more.

6 weeks after arriving in New York, Ian and Mickey have found a routine that allows them to successfully juggle the increased workload of college, their job hunting and making time for each other. Lip had been a great source of advice to the guys since he'd already experienced his first year and the shock of being inundated with college work.

Of course, they had credited each other for making the transition into college life that much easier but anyone sitting on the outside, looking in can see it's a joint effort, the well oiled machine of a couple who know one another so well that they can predict each other's needs and desires before they know themselves. It's beautiful to watch.

They have made some friends with girls and guys dorming on the same floor as them, as usual with Mickey praising his redhead for being responsible for attracting people to him, making Ian blush and argue that Mickey is the one who's sexy and hot. Nevertheless, the guys become quite popular because of their personalities and openness regarding their relationship. 

One girl in particular, reminds them a little of Mandy with a hint of her feistiness and the mouth to match. She instantly becomes a hit with the guys and the three of them are now often to be found hanging around the campus, writing papers or drinking coffee.

Jools, as she likes to be known, is a native New Yorker with rich parents who had spent the entirety of Jools' life travelling for work or leisure. Jools was left with nannies to grow up not really knowing her parents and acting out justifiably so. By the time she was 11, she had been expelled from 5 schools and had had a few dealings with the local police precinct. Her parents had all but disowned her by that point, refusing to believe it was their fault for neglecting her and the reason that their child could be so badly behaved. They had given her everything but the love and nurture she had craved.

So, seeing her parents withdraw even more, Jools tumbled down the rabbit hole even further reaching rock bottom when she woke up in hospital, addicted to heroin at the age of 15 and not caring if she lived or died. It was only with the help and support of a social worker who cared enough that Jools was able to recover and seek the therapy she needed to fight her addiction and her demons. She made the decision to try hard, graduate from school, get into college and show people she could achieve anything she desired.

It was inevitable that the guys and her would have bonded, given their similarities and parental issues. They talked a lot about their experiences and they became closer as a result. Jools felt as if Ian and Mickey were the closest thing to family she'd ever known and she adored them. The love that circled around them was addicting to her, it was her new drug of choice, she needed to find that kind of love for herself too.

One day, after a busy morning in class, Ian and Mickey were job searching. Mickey already had an opportunity for work. He had an interview at a tattoo studio later that day, he'd be doing the same as he did back home but would also start training on tattoo work. He was desperate to get the job knowing he'd enjoy every second of it.

Ian wasn't panicking just yet. He'd not heard back from anywhere but knew he'd eventually get something. Little did he know it would happen later that night with two job offers and a dilemma.

Mickey strutted out of the tattoo studio looking at Ian, his head cocked to the side, eyebrows up and blue eyes sparkling. Ian's stomach flips and his whole body tingles at the sight of the gorgeous guy in front of him. He grabs Mickey's face as his eyes soak in the beauty, making his cock twitch and his heart swell. 

"Tell me you got the job so I can take you home and fuck you to celebrate" Ian's voice is deep and husky as he breathes the words into the brunette's ear. Mickey's eyes glaze over and narrow as he processes his boyfriend's words and immediately feels them invade his body and make him shiver in anticipation of his bossy Ian coming out to play.

"Yeah, I... I got the job, start next week" whispers Mickey, unsure of how dominant Ian will be. Sometimes he's extreme and Mickey hopes it's that Ian that's showing up today.

"Mmmm, I need to get your hot ass back home then...the plans I have for you can't wait and I can't either." Mickey can barely breathe as he listens to the growl in Ian's voice, it's so sexy and powerful, automatically claiming ownership over his ass and he loves it, Ian does own his ass.

The pair get home and Ian orders Mickey to kneel on the floor in front of the bed. Mickey does exactly as he's told and in the silence of the room, he can hear Ian undressing behind him. The sound of his belt buckle being undone causing his breathing to hitch, his heartbeat quickening as he hears a zip coming down. Mickey loves the sensation of not knowing, being completely unaware what his beautiful boyfriend has planned for him and he smiles to himself while waiting to find out.

Ian moves into his view, sitting down on the bed in front of him, leaning back on one hand while the other languidly strokes his own cock. Mickey watches with hooded eyelids, unable to refrain from licking his lips as he sees the precum collecting on the tip of the redheads 9 inches. Ian teases him, dipping his finger into the precum and painting it like lipstick onto Mickey's lips while ordering him not to lick it off. Smirking at the frustration in his boyfriends eyes, Ian grabs Mick's shirt and pulls it over his head. He pinches then circles a nipple watching as Mickey gasps desperately trying hard not to lick his lips which is all he wants to do. Ian gets him to stand so he can undress him properly.

"I'm frustrated Mick, you're too fucking sexy and I can't go a minute without wanting to feel my dick inside you, feeling your hot, tight ass around my dick." Ian's voice is so deeply dominating that Mickey barely breathes, his lips are still coated in Ian's precum and he feels close to giving up just so he can lick it all off and taste it. 

"What would you like me to do about that Ian?" He asks, looking up at him through thick black eyelashes. Ian dips his finger into his own precum again and smears it onto his own lips before crashing them against Mickey's, their mouths beginning a dance between master and servant. Mickey moans at the taste of the precum he craved as his hand instinctively finds Ian's dick and strokes it's hardness. 

"Mmmm, fucking suck my big dick Mick, suck it good and hard" orders Ian and the brunette's lips quickly find their way around Ian's thickness and plunge down it's length causing Ian to gasp and moan, bucking his hips to delve deeper into his boyfriends throat. He has to squeeze his balls a little in order to curb the orgasm that was threatening to erupt but the sight of Mickey's lips surrounding him always has that effect on him, it's such a turn on. He watches as his love flickers his tongue over the slit before swallowing him down making him throw his head back in ecstasy. He knows if he let's this go on, he'll come and he'd rather be coming inside Mickey's ass so he quickly gets up and throws Mickey onto the bed, face down. He opens the drawer and pulls out lube and two long red satin ribbons.

Mickey grins as he feels Ian wrapping the ribbon around his wrist before doing the same to the other. He loves being tied up by Ian, the feeling of helplessness is overwhelmingly sexy and erotic while Ian is pounding his ass hard. Ian finishes attaching his wrists to the bed posts and grabs his hips, hoisting them up so he's on his knees with his ass in the air. Ian is anything but gentle as his fingers and tongue invade him but he welcomes the stinging burn as the pleasure that follows it is sublime. His boyfriend is by now, an expert at stretching his hole, preparing it for his big cock and as Mickey feels it working it's way inside him, he's eyes roll back and a moan escapes him. By the time Ian is balls deep and circling his hips, Mickey is whimpering, needing more, harder, rougher, deeper. Ian spanks an ass cheek hard knowing his boyfriend wants to feel the sharp pain, he then strokes the redness with his hand while working his cock in and out. The noises coming from the brunette encouraging him to quicken his pace before spanking the same spot again. The feeling of Mickey's ass suddenly tightening around his cock almost ruins him.

With a growl, he grabs Mickey's shoulder with one hand and reaches down to wrap his other hand around the brunette's erection, pumping it hard. He pounds himself into his boyfriend with hard, deep strokes making their skin produce slapping noises to go along with the gasps and moans. He fucks harder and harder, chasing the edge of the pleasure he will find.

Mickey can't do anything but lie and take it, he'd like to reach up and wrap Ian's hair around his fingers, turn his head so they can kiss sloppily but the ties are tightly holding him down. It's a torture that is unbearable as much as it is pleasurable. His boyfriend is pounding into his ass and driving him towards oblivion and he can do nothing but just take it and enjoy it. 

"Harder babe!, Fuck me harder!!" He pleads with Ian, he is hungry for the finish line. Ian begins stroking his dick faster and tighter and he can feel himself hurtling closer. Listening to Ian gasp and pant with every deep thrust as he feels his cock shift and press the spot is more than enough and he lets loose a long, deep moan as his body bucks and jerks, his cum spilling out onto Ian's hand. Ian follows quickly, spurred on by the pulsation of Mickey's ass causing him to lose control, his mind disappearing to another place while his body slams against Mickey's, filling his wonderful ass full of cum. It takes a few seconds for them both to recover, their heavy breathing slowly calming down. Ian reaches to free Mickey from his restraints and then turns him to face him, stroking his face and smiling.

"Congrats on your new job babe, I love you" he whispers before kissing him sweetly.

"Mmmm, thanks Ian, I may have to get a new job every day if this is what I get" he laughs, raising an eyebrow at Ian and then going in for another kiss. "I love you too" he murmurs as his lips caress his sexy redheads.

They nap for an hour before doing some homework. Jools pops by too to find out how Mickey's interview went. Hugging him and Ian after hearing the good news, she suggests a night out, claiming to know a place the guys will love. They make arrangements to get together around 7 to eat somewhere and then go clubbing. They can't stay out too late due to class in the morning.

Entering the club, Ian feels the beat of the music and wants to dance. Mickey tells him and Jools that he'll grab the drinks if they want to hit the floor. He orders at the bar before turning to watch. Ian dancing is one of his favorite things to watch. He pays for the drinks and continues enjoying his boyfriend moving to the music, using his whole body to express himself. Jools is equally as expressive and the joy on her face is breathtaking as her dark hair swishes around her. They're laughing as they join Mickey at the bar then the three of them find a table to sit at. Ian leans into the brunette's ear and licks the lobe, "you're dancing with me next and it's gonna be hot."

Mickey feels his dick harden as he imagines grinding against Ian while dancing. Jools recognizing Mickey's dilemma is grinning at him, waiting for him to crack and yell some sarcastic comment at her. She lives for Mickey's Southside thug to appear, adoring that harsh, trashy nature of his. Ian has told her of how much she reminds them of Mickey's sister and it hasn't taken long for Mickey to start treating her the way he does Mandy and vice versa, Ian giggles as the two of them begin trading insults playfully. 

The guys finally get their dance when a tune they both love comes on. The dance probably raises the temperature in the club by ten degrees and a lot of eyes are on them as they grind and sway against each other. Once the song ends and they sit back down, Jools is fanning herself and gushing about how hot they looked together. 

It's at this point when a guy slides into the empty seat next to Jools. All three look at him as he confidently introduces himself to them all before singling Ian out.

"My name is Aiden Wright. I'm a photographer for an agency. I specifically work with models for some big name clients and some, well...not so big" he smiles at Ian with big white teeth. Mickey rolls his eyes wondering if this douchebag will be a problem. "I'd like you to come along to the agency and let me photograph you" Aiden is looking at Ian as he carries on, "I think you have the right kind of look for the agency, they need someone like you." 

Ian looks surprised but flattered. He introduces himself, Mickey and Jools, deliberately calling Mickey his boyfriend in case Aiden was trying to come onto him but he didn't seem bothered by it at all. He finds himself agreeing to meet with Aiden at the agency, taking his card and giving him his number before Aiden bids them goodbye and leaves their table.

It's already 11.15pm when the trio decide a few more dances and one more drink is called for before heading home but as they're about to leave the club, they're stopped by a guy who looks around their age who is making Jools salivate. He looks at her sadly "I'm sorry honey, I swing so far the other way, I won't come back for days!" This makes them all laugh and he introduces himself, "I'm Troy, I dance and recruit dancers for a club called The G Word, it's a gay club obviously but everyone's welcome," he looks at Jools, smiling, "I'm always on the lookout for good dancers and you guys are seriously good, it's so sexy to watch you two!...anyways, I'd like to offer you jobs at the club. You'd be dancing on podiums, stages and on the floor. You have the option of giving private dances which you'd be paid for but no-one can touch you. The club is not a front for prostitution like a few others out there. So what d'ya think boys?" He's looking at them, waiting for answers.

Mickey pipes up first, "Uhhh, I'm not interested, I already have a job at a tattoo studio but Ian, you'd enjoy it but I don't want you doing private dances for anyone but me" he smiles, trusting Ian to make the right choice.

"How much can I make in a night if I'm not doing private dances?" Troy estimates around $200-$300 a night going up to $500-$750 a night with privates. Ian looks impressed but he asks Troy for a few minutes so he can talk with Mickey.

Moving away to the side, they discuss Ian's options. Mickey says he just wants Ian to be happy and enjoy what he's doing and that he's sure he can handle strangers ogling his boyfriend since he comes home to him every night. He draws the line at anyone touching him or those private dances which are too personal. Ian agrees, giving a shudder at the thought of someone else laying a hand on him. He thinks the money is great and that they'd be able to save a lot towards getting their own place. He's also intrigued by the modelling job and quickly googles the agency to find they are a very reputable company that has great models on their books. 

He makes Mickey aware of this but also brings up the fact that models are expected to travel all the time which is something he couldn't do unless he dropped out of college, not something he was prepared to do. They eventually agree that Ian should try both opportunities and decide after checking them out.

After exchanging details with Troy and arranging a trial at the club for next Monday, the three saunter home, a little tipsy and pleased at the progress that Ian's made in his job search. The guys hug Jools goodnight and enter their room. After washing up and brushing their teeth they undress each other and fall into bed. Another eventful day under their belts and exciting jobs for both of them in the bag. Their kisses are communicating their love for one another and lulling them into a happy slumber as their bodies are entwined.


	10. Jealousy Is An Ugly Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian is juggling both jobs until he decides which he prefers, Mickey has to deal with his boyfriend's unwanted admirer.

Ian is finding his feet with his modelling career. Aiden is a true artist who can capture Ian in pictures in a way that Ian barely believes is him. He really does look amazing. 

The agency is very pleased about the results so far and are desperate to get Ian on their books suggesting a meeting between them happens soon. Ian is waiting outside the offices to be called in and he's running over what he needs to say to them. He thinks that his unwillingness to leave college might be the deal breaker so has already prepared himself for bad news. He wishes Mickey was with him but he's working at the studio so he pulls out his phone to text him.

\--Babe, it's almost time, wish me luck again xx--

Just a few seconds later, his phone chirps.

\--You'll do great babe, knock em dead, gd luck xx--

Ian smiles, his boyfriend has such faith in him, he hopes he'll never let him down.

An hour later and Ian is walking towards the tattoo studio. He wants to share the good news with Mickey. The agency have agreed to put him on the books on a part time capacity, stipulating on his resume that he's a college student and can only be hired for local jobs and perhaps the occasional weekend if travelling is involved. They are confident he will begin getting job offers and auditions soon.

The pride on his boyfriend's face as he tells him this is clear to see. It makes Ian's heart flip-flop as Mickey pulls him in for a hug. They share a chaste kiss before Mickey congratulates him.

"I never had a doubt that your beautiful face and fantastic body would get you that job babe, I'm so proud of you. I'm taking you out to celebrate after your dancing gig tonight" he announces.

"Actually Mick, I was kinda hoping you'd come with me to work tonight." Ian is dreading having to explain why but taking a breath, he elaborates, "That dancer who I was telling you about, the one who keeps flirting with me, he's not taking no for an answer, he says he doesn't believe you exist and that I'm just playing hard to get" Ian watches for the brunette to react and sees his eyes narrow slightly. "I want you to be there so he'll get the hint, leave me alone from now on. I love the job but he makes me uncomfortable."

Mickey just nods, his face serious as he looks into Ian's worried green eyes. "I'll be there babe. No one makes my gorgeous redhead uncomfortable. I'll soon show him you're mine" Ian grabs Mickey's shirt and pulls him in close to kiss him, he loves Mickey being possessive over him, it turns him on a lot!!

"Thanks babe, I can't wait till we can celebrate tonight" he whispers into Mickey's ear, feeling him shiver against him. He walks away, looking back with a smirk, "See you back at the dorm later babe," leaving Mickey adjusting himself before getting on with his work.

In the dorm, Ian finishes up any college work that has to be done before showering and getting ready for work. He has to wear tiny, black shorts tonight and not much else apart from boots. He shoves them in his backpack then settles down to read a book required for class while waiting for Mickey to come home. Thinking about the night ahead, he can't wait to get Shawn off his back once and for all. They guy is such a leech. Ian has been adamantly turning down his advances for the past three weeks but the slimeball won't give up. He needs to see how much Mickey and him love each other, then he'll realise.

It's a busy night at the club as the guys walk in. It's Friday and the weekend is beginning for many New Yorker's. Ian points to where he'll be dancing so that Mickey can grab a seat at the bar with a view of him. Ian heads back to the lockers to get changed. His eyes roll up in disgust as he hears Shawn's voice calling after him, telling him to wait for him. Ian does no such thing and reaches his locker, grabbing his stuff out of his backpack and walking to a bathroom so he can change in private. He doesn't feel right undressing in front of Shawn so he's done this for the past week. 

When he comes out, Shawn is thankfully gone. He puts his things into his locker and goes out onto the floor. He spots Mickey and smiles as he walks towards him. Mickey wraps an arm around his waist and hands him a shot which Ian downs quickly. He then leans down for a kiss which is all tongues, both the guys are hoping that Shawn is watching. Ian looks around and sees Shawn eying them jealously. Mickey follows Ian's eyes and spots his nemesis across the room. He tells Ian to get to work, playfully tapping his ass and as Ian walks to his podium, Mickey watches his boyfriend's ass, smiling and licking his lips. He can feel Shawn watching him and he's going to do everything he can to make this douchebag see that Ian belongs to him.

As the night progresses, Mickey has had a few beers and is watching Ian move his body in ways that has attracted a lot of men over to stare at him. Mickey feels no envy, in fact he's proud of Ian for having that ability, he feels like such a lucky fucker that Ian is his. Ian is his beautiful, sexy boyfriend and he loves him more than life itself. He is so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn't notice someone standing beside him, watching him. 

"I take it you're Ian's friend?" Mickey snaps his head around to see Shawn's annoying face beside him.

Mickey snorts answering him, "I'm Ian's boyfriend, yes." He continues watching Ian dance, paying no attention to Shawn.

"I like Ian a lot," Shawn states. "I think he's a fantastically good dancer and hot as all hell." 

Mickey knows then that Shawn will not be the type to walk away quietly with his tail between his legs. He takes a sip of his beer, clenching his fists together to rein in the anger that's welling up inside him.

He turns to Shawn, looking him dead in the eye and with a tone of voice that any Milkovich would be proud of tells him, "You need to back the fuck away from Ian and me right now. Ian isn't interested in a leech like you, we've been together for over 4 years and you are no threat to our relationship at all. Go find someone else to obsess over before I make you sorry you were fucking born."

Shawn let's a look of terror fall across his face before he realizes and quickly changes it to a smirk. "May the best man win!," he goads as he walks away. Mickey wants to deck him there and then but stops himself. He can't make a scene where Ian works, he wants to talk to Ian though and eventually catches his eye, gesturing for him to come up to the bar.

Ian jumps off the podium and joins Mickey, he can feel the tension pouring out of his boyfriend's pores. He looks at him, raising his eyebrows to ask what's wrong. While Mickey explains what's been said between him and Shawn, Ian rubs the brunette's thigh, knowing this action calms him down. Ian decides that unless Shawn leaves them both alone to enjoy the night, he'll end up ripping the idiot apart, limb from limb. He's so angry at him for goading Mickey. 

Shawn, perhaps stupidly picks that moment to join the guys at the bar, smiling at Ian before giving Mickey a dirty look.

"Fuck off Shawn, my boyfriend and I are having a private conversation," mutters Ian. 

"Awww is your boyfriend so insecure that he needs you to pat his back and tell him that everything will be ok?" Shawn laughs at his own words and turns to order a drink. He's unable to notice that Mickey has risen off his stool and is now standing behind him. When he turns to find Mickey there, the smirk soon disappears from his face. Mickey puts his thumb to his bottom lip and rubs it, alerting Ian that this will probably not end too pretty for Shawn but he's past caring about that.

"You and me are going for a walk'" Mickey grabs Shawn's arm and pulls him over to a quiet corner of the club, near the private rooms. He pushes Shawn against the wall and knees him in the groin, causing him to crumble to the floor. Mickey leans over him, "I want you to remember the pain you're feeling right now because everytime you look at my boyfriend from now on, you'll picture yourself the way you are now and won't be tempted to even breathe in his direction ever again, you got me?"

Shawn just nods as he groans in pain, clutching his balls. Ian looks on smiling. "I told you I was taken Shawn, you've no-one to blame here but yourself!" Ian grabs Mickey's hand and drags him back to the lockers. He presses himself into the brunette's body before kissing him. They both moan hungrily as their lips and tongues do a sexy tango. Their cocks harden as the kiss becomes even more fiery and messy. Ian pulls away, his breathing fast. "We need to get out of here, I'm done with this place"

He's in his locker and grabbing his clothing, getting dressed quickly. Mickey urges him on to do it faster, he needs to get Ian home and fast!.

When they burst out of the doors of the club, Ian whistles at a cab across the street and they jump into it as soon as it pulls up. Ian tells the driver where to go and climbs into Mickey's lap, kissing his neck then whispering in his ear, "You're fucking me tonight my hard assed stud." Mickey groans and grabs Ian's ass, while circling his hips against him, their hard bulges rubbing together deliciously, arousing the pair to dizzying heights as they kiss.

The cab driver coughs nervously to let them know they've arrived. The guys laugh and get out with Mickey passing him some money and a healthy tip before they race into the building and upstairs to their dorm. They get in the door, already ripping their clothes off, then naked, they fall into bed kissing lustily. Ian is grabbing the lube and shoving it into Mickey's hand, desperate to feel his boyfriend inside him. Mickey needs no more encouragement, getting between Ian's legs and lubing his fingers. Ian opens his legs and reaches for Mickey's hard cock, the need to feel him and stroke the hardness overwhelming him. The brunette prepares his boyfriend and fingers his tight hole, stretching it sufficiently in order to take his dick comfortably.

The moment that the tip of his dick presses against the ring of nerves, Ian is pushing down onto it. They both gasp in ecstasy as Mickey slowly slides into the redhead. He bottoms out and let's Ian get used to the feeling. He lowers himself so that he can kiss him, just as he begins to gyrate his hips and move in and out of Ian's exquisite tightness. The feeling of fucking Ian is like nothing else he's ever felt. It's not a regular thing so when he does it, he relishes it. He loves that he can make Ian fall apart with his dick inside him. 

Ian is a moaning, panting mess under him. Mickey's lips are working their magic on his neck, kissing, sucking and nibbling the sensitive skin. He can't concentrate on anything but the sensations filling him as his beautiful boyfriend slowly fucks him teasingly. "Babe, fu...fuck me harder, I need it rough!!" Mickey growls, raising himself up to his knees, taking Ian's legs and lifting them onto his shoulders then digging his fingers into Ian's hips for purchase allowing him to pound the shit out of his redhead. "You feel so fucking good Ian, your ass is mine forever, no-one else's!!" He doesn't let up in ferocity as he watches Ian come undone. The beauty he's witnessing drives him closer to the edge as he feels his balls tighten. His hand wraps around his boyfriend's cock and pumps it fast and hard, shifting his hips slightly to hit Ian's prostate with every stroke.

Ian grabs Mickey and yells out as he comes ferociously, his body jerking uncontrollably as cum shoots out hitting his chest and face. Mickey moans at the sight, "FUUUCK Ian that was so fucking hot!!" and he comes inside his boyfriend's quivering hole pushing as deep as he can. Mickey collapses on Ian and kisses the cum from his lips, licking it off his chin too. Then they share the taste in a deep, passionate kiss as they try to regain their breath and drift back to earth. "I don't want to pull out, I love it in there so much" Mickey giggles. Ian laughs, "We need to do this more often, you fuck me so good babe".

The brunette finally pulls out and lays beside Ian, wrapping an arm over his stomach. "I'm so proud of you for the choice you made tonight, as much as I didn't mind you dancing at the club, I'd have worried about you being there after tonight. I love you so much babe, I never want you to have to put up with shitheads like Shawn."

"I love you too babe, I know you held back tonight, you could have went full psycho on Shawn and I would have happily cheered you on but you didn't. Instead you did just what had to be done and that's why I made the decision to leave. You held back for me so I quit for you. I won't miss it now I've got the modelling gig."

"Mmmm, how long till I get to see my gorgeous boyfriend in some fancy magazine, huh??" Mickey tickles Ian, teasing him and they roll around laughing before sharing a kiss and spooning, falling asleep holding hands.


	11. Naughty Or Nice?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about missing an update yesterday, wasn't feeling great so a day in bed was needed.
> 
> Christmas is here and the guys are coming home!.

When the plane touches down, Mickey is relieved to be back on solid ground but also, he realizes, relieved to be home too. He never thought he'd miss the South Side as much as he had. New York is awesome and exciting but there is definitely something to be said about coming back to where you belong.

He smiles at Ian, who's kisses have made the flight bearable again. Mickey has already decided he'll never get over his fear of flying just for that reason alone. Ian is happy to be home too. He's missed his family a lot. The Gallagher's have always been a close-knit brood, the Milkoviches were working towards that at their own pace.

Walking through the door of the Gallagher home, they were greeted with yells, cheers and hugs from both families. A Welcome Home party was in full swing for the guests of honor. There was enough time to dump their bags in the bedroom before racing downstairs to join the fun. They were really looking forward to letting loose for the next few weeks, drinking as much as they wanted, staying up late with no classes to worry about the next day. They had worked so hard on their studies, they felt like this break was well deserved. Tonight was for partying hard!.

Halfway through the night, Ian is laughing at Debbie and Carl trading insults when he catches Mickey smiling at him. He's automatically drawn to the brunette and saunters over to him, putting an arm round his waist and leaning in for a kiss. 

"You're looking pleased babe," Ian whispers in his ear. 

"It's such a good feeling to see everyone so happy, especially my lot!" he gestures over to Tony, Colin and Fiona in deep conversation. "Would you ever have imagined seeing that?" Mickey asks, laughing at the sight of his two eldest brothers and Fiona getting along.

Ian nods in agreement, "It's as if we got together and our families joined as one!, pretty cool if you ask me," Ian loves the camaraderie between the families.

Mickey pulls his redhead closer and they share a heartfelt kiss. The kiss conveys to each of them what they already know...how much they love one another, the unbreakable bond growing stronger.

The party ends with mostly everyone falling asleep where they sit, too drunk to go to bed or go home. They guys have made it to bed just far enough to collapse onto it, fully clothed, Ian mumbling something about hangovers in the morning, sleep takes over.

Morning brings many delicate bodies into the kitchen for coffee and pain pills. Only the kids can stomach breakfast whilst most of the adults consider taking a nap already. Mickey drags himself back upstairs holding a 3rd cup of coffee, Ian follows close behind, wincing with every step. They have plans to go shopping for gifts for the family today and with Christmas Eve being tomorrow, can't really put it off. So they snuggle and nap for another hour before showering and getting ready to face the day. Thankfully, Ian has some good ideas about what to buy for everyone, Mickey is happy to just tag along and let Ian make the decisions. 

The shopping trip has been hectic although it has also cleared their heads of the lingering hangovers. Having gotten almost everything, they decide to grab some lunch and wind up going to the restaurant where Mickey took Ian for his birthday the year he gave him his promise ring. It turns out to be a great idea, the two of them reminiscing about the earlier days and marvelling about how far they have come. As they hold hands and gaze at each other, both guys are in awe of their partner. The love and respect they have for one another is plain to see. Ian watches his gorgeous boyfriend slowly run his tongue over his full bottom lip and can't help his breathing from stopping for a few seconds, as he feels a rush of sexual attraction run through him. He gives Mickey a knowing wink as he groans with frustration. This only spurs Mickey into trying to finish his lunch quicker. He wants to get Ian home, wants to feel Ian get on him and in him.

They speed through the rest of the shopping and jump on the El, heading home. They can barely contain themselves, watching each other and smiling when it's clear they're both thinking about the sex they will have as soon as they get back to Mickey's. They haven't had sex since early yesterday morning in New York and that's a long time for them to go without the intimacy. 

They're thankful for an empty house when they arrive back. The shopping is placed in a pile in the corner of the bedroom. Their clothing is thrown where it lands and what follows is a very physical, wild and sweaty session. They were free to make as much noise as they wanted for a change and took advantage with gusto, driving each other crazy with their screams and moans.

After another nap, the shower beckoned. The guys practically giggling with excitement at the thought of shower sex for the first time in months. Mickey was on his knees with the redhead's massive cock in his mouth, easing it down his throat and making Ian groan with desire. Ian just let his head fall back as he thanked the stars for his boyfriend, feeling the brunette use his mouth and tongue for maximum effect. He pulls Mickey up before he explodes down his throat, wanting to come inside his ass again, so bending Mick over, he plunges himself deeply into him, no preparation was needed after their earlier session but Ian loves that Mickey's ass remains so tight and welcoming. He reaches around, wrapping his fingers round his boyfriend's thick dick and massages it to the same rhythm as his cock is fucking his ass. All the time, their moans and gasps and words of encouragement are echoing around them. Ian repositions himself to drill into Mickey's ass harder and faster and is rewarded by the sound of the brunette whining in ecstasy at the sensation of his prostate being pounded. His body jerking as Ian feels his ass tighten around his cock. Ian growls and gives his all on the next few thrusts before his cum starts spilling into Mickey, causing Mickey to follow and come all over the shower wall. The guys kiss languidly and clean one another before finishing up and dressing in casual sweats and shirts. 

After dinner Ian wraps the gifts they bought, Mickey helps by writing out the gift tags. While they do this, the movie playing in the background is Jingle All The Way but only because they can't find a Christmas movie starring Seagal or Van Damme.

Christmas Eve

This morning, the guys have planned some time apart for any secret wrapping of gifts or last minute purchases for each other. Ian walks back to the Gallagher home to chill with his siblings and help out with preparations. He has Mickey's surprises already wrapped and stashed in his backpack. He is getting major goosebumps thinking about his boyfriend's main gift but tries to distract himself. There'll be a huge amount of family at Christmas dinner tomorrow with all the Milkoviches joining them for the first time. Fiona is happy with Ian's offer to help, so the pair of them hang decorations while discussing how to get rid of Frank if he shows up.

Mickey has arranged to meet Mandy to shop some more. He didn't get Ian's main gift back in New York because it would have been a bit too bulky for the plane trip. Mandy had to pick up something for Iggy. They got the shopping done quickly and got back home to find Ian making an early dinner. They had all been invited to a party at The Alibi, the local bar. They were all still too young to drink in bars but the owner of The Alibi was a close friend of both families and didn't care about such things. Mickey and Mandy disappeared to do some wrapping before helping Ian. Iggy and his girlfriend got home from work and they all got ready for the party before sitting down to eat.

Talk around the table was dominated by the guys being quizzed about New York and their jobs. Ian unsuccessfully tried to explain that modelling wasn't all glitz and glamour but couldn't convince Mandy that he didn't have the best job in the world. Mickey talked about his tattooing career with a great deal of pride. He had already been given the opportunity to do some proper tattoos on people during his training. His confidence growing as he received high praise from his employers. Plans were made for Mandy to visit them in New York at Easter, possibly with Iggy tagging along too. 

The party at The Alibi was already bouncing when they entered the bar. Fiona and Lip were already there, so were Tony and Colin. Tony has his girlfriend by his side but Colin was talking to Fiona. Ian noted that he'd seen them talking together quite a lot last night too. Add that to the fact that Fiona had a glint in her eye that hadn't been seen in a long time and Ian was quickly pointing the pair out to Mickey. 

"Another Gallagher/Milkovich relationship??, Damn babe, it must be something in the water!" laughs the brunette. He takes Ian's hand and brings it up to his lips to kiss it, then kisses the promise ring before whispering "always" to Ian. 

Ian feels his entire body tingle at the sound of that word. He always want his gorgeous boyfriend by his side, always will need him in his life and it makes him so happy that Mickey feels the same. He takes hold of him and kisses his lips, enjoying their softness. "Merry Christmas Mick, you're so fucking beautiful, I'm so lucky. I'm gonna love you so much forever."

Mickey looks into his redhead's eyes, his hands find their way to Ian's smooth cheeks. His blue eyes concentrate on Ian's sexy lips watching as they part slightly. That's all he needs, his mouth presses onto Ian's and the kiss they share is perfect. The brunette breaks the kiss, "My darling Ian, Merry Christmas you handsome creature of mine. I'm your's forever and my love for you will never die." he is so sincere, Ian finds a tear forming in his eye and he continues the kiss, passionately grabbing his boyfriend's bubble butt and moaning into his mouth. 

They spend the rest of the night drinking, socializing, singing karaoke and making out. They leave a little earlier than the rest, needing a little more time alone before the madness of Christmas Day takes over. They lay in bed, kissing, caressing and both secretly hoping that the other one loves their gifts. They eventually drift off to sleep, Ian surrounding Mickey's body possessively even in slumber.

Tomorrow is Christmas. Perhaps a surprise or two is planned. It's going to be special!


	12. A Merry Gallavich Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas Day is here, bringing plenty of joy and surprises!.

Christmas Day

It's snowing big, fat beautiful snowflakes as Ian and Mickey trudge towards the Gallagher house. They decided to walk there because it felt like the Christmassy thing to do. Everyone else had took the car. 

Excitement had been rife in the Milkovich household since they'd all woke up. Ian and Mickey had made love before getting up to start on breakfast and it had been magical. The emotions they'd felt as their bodies became one entity had taken over and made them both weep tears of joy when they watched each other come undone.

Mandy happily set the table singing "Jingle Bell Rock" while Iggy and his girl, Donna were oblivious to it as they made out on the sofa.

After breakfast, they'd all gotten ready and went to The Gallagher's.

Ian and Mickey walked in the door to be met with absolute chaos. So many of their family together made for a full house but it was a wonderful sight. The kids were so happy and excited, keen to show everyone what Santa had brought them. Mickey quickly made it his job to help Liam build his new Lego set, the budding architect in him taking it very seriously. Ian decided he'd help Fiona in the kitchen. She gave him a grateful hug as he started peeling a mountain of potatoes.

There really was an expectant buzz in the air as a few people thought of the gifts they had for their loved ones and how this could be the best Christmas they'd ever had. The smiles on everyone's faces was fantastic to see.

The arrival of Frank threatened to spoil the day. He staggered in the back door making a beeline for the fridge, helping himself to a few packs of beer. Lip and Ian were behind him in seconds to take them away from him.

"This is MY house and what's in this house belongs to me!!" Frank yells, trying to push his sons away. "You two fucking imbeciles need to get out of my face!"

"OK Frank, you can have a beer once you've given the kids their presents, you did buy them presents didn't you?" Ian asks, knowing that there was no way Frank would have even considered buying gifts for the younger kids. Frank throws Ian a hate filled look, "just as I thought," spits Ian, through gritted teeth. "You spend your money on alcohol and drugs but can't get your kids Christmas gifts, get the fuck out of here Frank, you're not welcome."

Lip makes a move to grab Frank but misses as the drunk lunges towards Ian, intent on beating him to a pulp. Mickey, who has been watching on the sidelines, sees red and jumps in to punch Frank, sending him crashing to the floor, blood trickling from a busted nose. Mickey kneels over him, his eyes glaringly showing his anger, "You're gonna get up and get out because if you don't, I'll not be responsible for what I will do to you." Mickey's voice is chillingly threatening.

Frank has always been terrified of Mickey, and as he looks around, he notices the rest of the Milkovich brothers watching and waiting to see what his next move will be. He gets up, off the floor and mumbles incoherently, shuffling towards the door. He turns before leaving, "Merry fuckin Christmas to my ungrateful shitty children," he yells, slamming the door behind him. 

Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief before laughing and teasing Mickey about how scary he was, Carl, in particular, has just found another reason to worship him and asks Mickey to show him how to throw a punch like he does.

Dinner is surprisingly organized with two tables put together to accommodate them all. Ian and Mickey have brought Christmas crackers which they were told about by a Scottish girl in their dorms. It's a British tradition and it sounded so much fun that they bought a few packs online. Once the starter was served, they all chose someone to pull their cracker with. The crackers tear apart with a bang and inside there is a paper crown, a joke printed on a piece of paper and a small gift such as a bouncy ball, a puzzle, mini screwdriver set or a toy figurine. The kids are happily swapping all the little gifts with each other while the adults laugh at one another as they put on their crowns and tell jokes. Everyone agrees that the crackers were a great idea.

Dinner has been a success and as everyone settles down to watch a Christmas movie, Ian and Mickey do the washing up while discussing how great the day has been so far. They stand at the counter watching their family. Tony and his girlfriend, Pam, Iggy and Donna, Lip and Mandy, all so happy and in love. Colin and Fiona are sitting close to one another and Ian whispers to his boyfriend that he's sure something is going on between them. Mickey smiles and replies that it's no surprise considering the Gallagher/Milkovich success rate. Ian pulls his brunette in for a kiss which begins innocently enough but threatens to turn X-rated very quickly with both of them having to adjust themselves before going to join the others.

The movie ends with everyone feeling less uncomfortable after having had too much to eat. The kids are anxiously waiting for present time to be announced so Fiona suggests they should get on with that since it'll take the rest of the day judging by the amount of gifts there are stashed under the tree. Everyone agrees that the children should get theirs first so Ian sorts out which gifts goes to who and the kids tear through the wrapping excitedly, their eyes widening with each present as they give thanks. Liam has received some more Lego, an art set, some clothes, a remote control car and an electronic helicopter. Carl is over the moon with his chemistry set, clothes, action hero dvd's, underwater camera and mp3 player. Debbie is beside herself with excitement as she gets clothes, make up, hair accessories, a doll she can practice hairstyles on and computer games that allow her to design clothes and look after babies.

With the kids all happily distracted by their gifts, it's the turn of the adults and Ian hands out gifts for Tony, Pam, Iggy and Donna who are all delighted with what they received. Iggy gives Donna a particularly pretty necklace which astounds them all with the thought he put into it what with Iggy usually being the most unsophisticated Milkovich.

Fiona and Colin are also pleased with their haul and give everyone an extra surprise by announcing that they are now officially a couple which brings cheers as well as yells of "I told you so" from Ian and Mandy.

Mandy and Lip open their gifts next and after giving their thanks, they hand out little cards to everyone telling them to open them all at the same time. Ian and Mickey countdown from 5 and flip their cards open to reveal the words "Congratulations, you're going to be an uncle!" The entire household erupts into screams and tears of joy at the news that Lip and Mandy are having a baby. There are hugs and kisses shared all around as the first Gallagher/Milkovich baby is celebrated.

Then it's time for Ian and Mickey to open their gifts, first they concentrate on those they received from their family, mostly clothes, books and gift cards for which they are thankful. Mickey then hands Ian his first gift which Ian slowly unwraps to discover the laptop he had been eyeing up for weeks. "I know you wanted it because it has tons of memory and storage," laughs Mickey as Ian jumps on him to kiss him. He then hands Ian an envelope and holding his hand says, "I got you this because I knew it would mean the world to you, just like you mean the world to me babe," Ian opens the envelope and removes the contents, looking at them before pulling Mickey towards him and holding him tightly.

"Thank you so much babe, this is amazing, I can't believe you did this!!" 

"Did what??!!" Everyone asks, impatiently wanting to find out what it was that Ian had gotten.

Ian laughs showing them all a photograph, "it's a lease for our own apartment in New York, ready in 6 months time. It's in the apartment block I've always pictured us living in," Ian shakes his head in wonder at what Mickey has done. "This is honestly more than I could have ever wished for babe, thank you, I love you!"

"I love you too Ian, I'm so happy you love it," Mickey's blue eyes twinkle with delight as he gazes at his boyfriend.

"Stop it, we'll all be in tears again" laughs Fiona as she hugs them.

"My turn to give you your gifts now Mick!," Ian says with a grin, handing him his first box. Mickey unwraps it, then as he realizes what it is, jumps up to kiss Ian.

"No fucking way!! It's a top of the range tattoo gun, the one I thought I'd never be able to get!" Everyone gathers to look at it as Ian smiles, happy he made the right choice. His modelling had paid very well and he was glad that Mickey loved his gift. The brunette grabs him in a tight embrace and whispers in his ear, "Babe, I can't thank you enough for this, I will find many ways to try though," and he gives Ian the sexiest smile he can making the redhead lose his breath.

Ian sits his boyfriend down, kneeling in front of him to give him his other gift. Mickey takes the small box and unties the ribbon wrapped delicately around it. Ian then grabs Mickey's hand saying, "Mick, you and me are meant to be, we've always known it and we always will. Nothing will ever come between us because our love is so strong, so pure. I know I'll always love you and will always want you next to me, whatever we do, wherever we go so I'm hoping that you'll say yes because I'm asking you to marry me" Ian opens the box to reveal two perfect platinum bands. 

There are gasps before the house falls silent, all eyes on Ian and Mickey as a few seconds pass. Mickey looks at the rings then glances up at Ian before grinning and shouting "Yes, yes, yes!!!!" The both of them stand to hug and kiss before Ian takes one ring, showing Mickey the engraving on the inside which is today's date, then he slips it on the third finger of his left hand, kissing the ring afterwards. Mickey repeats the process with the second ring giving it to his redhead before they kiss again.

Again, the house erupts into cheers and Ian races into the kitchen to grab the bottles of champagne he had hidden in the fridge. After making sure everyone had a glass filled with the fizz, he asks for quiet. "This has not only been the best Christmas I've had but the best day I've ever had too. All of you are my family and I couldn't be happier that you're all here celebrating the news of a new romance, a new baby and our engagement with my fiance and I," cheers and laughter ring out as Ian proudly says "fiance" for the first time. "Mickey, you've made me the happiest guy alive by saying yes and I'll gladly spend the rest of my life making you as happy as I am now. OK, I'm guessing we'll have a long engagement, since we're students and all, so no need to rush out and buy hats just yet but I just wanted you all to be a part of this so much and I couldn't wait any longer to put a ring on my gorgeous boyfriend's finger so thank you all so much for supporting us the way you have, it means a lot. Now, let's party!!!" 

Mickey and Ian take a minute to disappear outside. They hold hands, blue eyes gazing into green, the love between them obvious for anyone to see. "I was not expecting that Gallagher!" laughs Mickey, "but I'm so happy that you did it. I've dreamed of this day and it has beaten any of my expectations. I love you with all my heart Ian Gallagher and I can't wait to marry you" 

"Me either Mick, I know we're young but look at us, we're inseparable and being engaged is the next logical step, these rings are a sign of how much we're in love and how we have our whole future ahead of us together. We can use these as our wedding rings too even, just get the date of our wedding engraved on them as well. I love how that ring looks on your finger babe, it's perfect. I love you so much Mickey Milkovich, my gorgeous, sexy, smart fiance!"

The pair kiss as the snow falls around them, their bubble filled with love. They break the kiss to grin at each other before racing up the stairs to join the celebrations. A budding romance, a baby and an engagement all on one very special Christmas Day, one to be remembered for eternity.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is enjoyable for you all.  
> I plan on a chapter a day, maybe more if I'm feeling creative.  
> I won't leave this incomplete, promise to finish.  
> xx


End file.
